second class
the class of travel accommodations, as on a train, that are less costly and luxurious than first class but are more costly and luxurious than third class.: Compare cabin class.
(in the U.S. Postal Service) the class of mail consisting of newspapers and periodicals not sealed against postal inspection.
the second of three honors degrees conferred by a British university.
Origin of second class
1Words Nearby second class
Other definitions for second-class (2 of 2)
of a secondary class or quality.
second-rate; inferior.
by second-class mail or passenger accommodations: to travel second-class.
Origin of second-class
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use second class in a sentence
Women are still treated like second-class citizens in many ways.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Why He’s Exploring the Word ‘Feminism’ and Online Misogyny | Marlow Stern | September 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTUnless they do,” she says, “victims of violence by NFL players will continue to be treated as second-class citizens.
Gloria Allred Sacks the NFL, Suing Another Player for Domestic Abuse | Samantha Allen | September 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTStill, this is what trans people live with: being treated as second-class citizens, even by others in the “LGBT community.”
They do it because they want women to be submissive, second-class citizen.
Harassment Of Women Is Nothing New—The Internet Just Makes It Easier | Amanda Marcotte | January 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe train was still moving, and a cold wind rushed into the open second-class compartment.
A Serial Killer on the Loose in Nazi Berlin | Scott Andrew Selby | January 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
She had paid second-class fare, and was shown a small dark berth not far from the first cabin places.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferAs you said, I am only picking up a living here, and even the passage by your own second-class steamship line is expensive.
You Never Know Your Luck, Complete | Gilbert ParkerOne door each side on the port and starboard sides aft into the forward second-class entrance.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic' | British GovernmentI want to photograph you with the third-class passengers, then the second-class, and have you shown playing games on deck.
My Wonderful Visit | Charlie ChaplinThis band was only to receive a second-class medal, for one cannot give first-class medals to everybody, can one?
Maupassant Original Short Stories (180), Complete | Guy de Maupassant
British Dictionary definitions for second class
the class or grade next in value, quality, etc, to the first
of the class or grade next to the best in quality, etc
shoddy or inferior
of or denoting the class of accommodation in a hotel or on a train, etc, lower in quality and price than first class
(in Britain) of or relating to mail that is processed more slowly than first-class mail
(in the US and Canada) of or relating to mail that consists mainly of newspapers, etc
education See second 1 (def. 10)
by second-class mail, transport, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with second class
Inferior; see second best.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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