upper-class

1 of 2

adjective

up·​per-class ˌə-pər-ˈklas 

-ˈkläs

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the upper class

upper class

2 of 2

noun

: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society

Synonyms

Adjective

• aristocratic
• blue-blooded
• genteel
• gentle
• grand
• great
• highborn
• highbred
• noble
• patrician
• silk-stocking
• upper-crust
• wellborn

Noun

• aristocracy
• elite
• gentility
• gentlefolk
• gentlefolks
• gentry
• nobility
• patriciate
• quality
• upper crust

Examples of upper-class in a Sentence

Adjective

upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement

Noun

a popular pastime among the upper classes

a member of the upper class

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The statement was issued just days after gangs launched a pre-dawn attack Tuesday around an upper-class community in Haiti’s capital, forcing residents armed with machetes and guns to fight side-by-side with police to repel gunmen. —Danica Coto, Chicago Tribune, 24 Nov. 2024

Gigi, who wears A-line skirts and strappy, coral sandals, is the picture of upper-class island cosmopolitanism. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024

Noun

The Black middle and upper classes have grown significantly. —John Eligon, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024

Women like her provide a crucial point of connection between Gotham’s mainstream upper classes, and the tarnished wealth of organized crime. —Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

upper class

noun

: the highest class in society

upper-class adjective