classist
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Explanation
Someone who discriminates against people because of their perceived social or economic status is classist. It would be classist of a country club to refuse to admit members who work in certain professions considered less elite. Judging others based on their level of education or the fact that they work with their hands rather than in an office is classist. Dividing people into a hierarchy of social classes, with the wealthiest, college-educated people at the top, creates a classist society that's biased against those considered "lower class." It's much more fair to evaluate everyone based on their individual character, rather than what neighborhood they live in or where they went to school.
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.
See Examples For:
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, who is an Edinburgh MP, described the remarks as "classist and snobby".
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2025
And like Vonnegut, Wayne is concerned with nefarious authority figures and classist injustices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2022
Mr. Bloomberg drew widespread criticism when he called for the soda tax — not just from the beverage industry, but also from New Yorkers who saw the move as a classist infringement on personal choice.
From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2022
The name sounds classy; the family's behavior is classist.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2021
“Cinderella,” the latest of countless adaptations of the centuries-old rags-to-riches story, is far less interested in enchantment than in dismantling the entire sexist, classist racket.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2021
She describes deft, sometimes ruthless, moves by three successive principals to nudge classists, if I may use that word, out of the way of student progress.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 20, 2021
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.
