second class

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: second class / second classes on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of second class

First recorded in 1830–40

Words nearby second class

second best, Second Birth, second blessing, second chamber, second childhood, second class, second-class citizen, Second Coming, Second Commandment, second consonant shift, second cousin

Other definitions for second class (2 of 2)

second-class

[ sek-uhnd-klas, -klahs ]

/ ˈsɛk əndˈklæs, -ˈklɑs /

adjective

of a secondary class or quality.

second-rate; inferior.

adverb

by second-class mail or passenger accommodations: to travel second-class.

Origin of second-class

First recorded in 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use second class in a sentence

I was drawn to The Class for different reasons—chiefly, the pipe dream of achieving a tighter and tauter backside.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

And as he adjusted to this change in circumstances, he screamed at himself a second time: Wait!
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In treble, second and fourth, the first change is a dodge behind; and the second time the treble leads, there's a double Bob.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
On his head was the second-hand hat of some parvenu's coachman, gold lace, cockade and all.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The beauty, the mystery,—this fierce sunshine or something—stir——' She hesitated for a fraction of a second.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Roman Pane who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage alludes to another method of using the herb.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
He set down as the second the golden rule, “Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them.”
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for second class

second class

noun

the class or grade next in value, quality, etc, to the first

adjective

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)

adverb

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

second class

Inferior; see second best.

Travel accommodations ranking below the highest or first class, as in Traveling second class on European trains is not only cheaper but gives you more contact with local people. [c. 1840]

In the United States and Canada, a category of mail consisting of periodicals and newspapers. [c. 1870]

second-class citizen. An individual regarded or treated as inferior to others in status or rights, an underprivileged person. For example, In many countries women still are considered second-class citizens. This term uses second class in the sense of “inferior.” [c. 1940]

second class

Origin of second class

Words nearby second class

Other definitions for second class (2 of 2)

Origin of second-class

Words related to second class

How to use second class in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for second class

Other Idioms and Phrases with second class