underclass

[uhn-der-klas, -klahs]

noun

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

underclass

/ ˈʌndəˌklɑːs /

noun

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

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Word History and Origins

Origin of underclass¹

First recorded in 1915–20; under- + class