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underclass

American  
[uhn-der-klas, -klahs] / ˈʌn dərˌklæs, -ˌklɑs /

noun

  1. a social stratum consisting of impoverished persons with very low social status.


underclass British  
/ ˈʌndəˌklɑːs /

noun

  1. a class beneath the usual social scale consisting of the most disadvantaged people, such as the unemployed in inner cities

"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

Grammar

See collective noun.

Etymology

Origin of underclass

First recorded in 1915–20; under- + class

Vocabulary lists containing underclass

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.

Still, workers clearly have some time before AI relegates them to the permanent underclass.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

The way they see it, they risk being relegated to the permanent underclass if they don’t strike it rich now.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

“Call you outcast, low down, you can’t make it, you’re nothing, you’re from nobody, subclass, underclass; when you see Jesse Jackson, when my name goes in nomination, your name goes in nomination.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

It has to have an underclass in order to function.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2023

Nevertheless, college students were different from those in America’s underclass.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

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