underclass

American  

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

noun

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

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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

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Etymology

Origin of underclass

First recorded in 1915–20; under- + class

Example Sentences

Nearly two decades earlier, Rudy Giuliani campaigned from the other direction, railing against the “squeegee men” underclass.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Chris Evans, Captain America himself, stars as the leader of the underclass, who foments a revolution that results in disturbing revelations about those around them.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2024

“It reflects longstanding assumptions about the differences between middle-class and either working-class or underclass people” that it was deemed acceptable to turn certain bodies over but not others, she said.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2023

It has to have an underclass in order to function.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2023

Among these song types are hundreds that lament the burden and misery of underclass life, as became the standard Blues format.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall