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

Efraín, meanwhile, welcomes her as a sort of providential poet of the underclass, and wants her to read at the opening of a poetry festival.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

I will secure and defend our borders — but I will also stop consigning many who are here to a permanent underclass.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2024

Also known as Jokowi, Widodo, now 62, nurtured an image of an Indonesian everyman with a soft spot for the underclass and down-to-earth lifestyle that resonated with a wide base of ordinary voters.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 10, 2024

L.A.’s myths are more cinematic than bookish, but Johnson is part of a creative underclass revising the L.A. literary scene writ large.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2023

Javi was already there, all the way across the room, near the podium, and already holding court with a few underclass students.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely