second-class citizen
Americannoun
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a citizen, especially a member of a minority group, who is denied the social, political, and economic benefits of citizenship.
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a person who is not accorded a fair share of respect, recognition, or consideration.
The boss treats us all like second-class citizens.
noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clemente refused to be treated like a second-class citizen, and he demanded the same mindset from his Black teammates.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 26, 2022
Individualism coinciding with the residual influence of empire created a cultural climate in which the country’s aspirant classes depended on the belief of a second-class citizen.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 14, 2020
The brunt of many classical music in-jokes, the viola has long been relegated to second-class citizen of the string section.
From New York Times ● Oct. 11, 2019
But it wasn’t so long ago that Team USA had become a second-class citizen in the basketball world.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2018
Still, there may have been signs of the Sports Arena’s destiny as a second-class citizen even during its early days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
