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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.

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Theodore Dalrymple’s account of England’s white underclass will sound familiar to Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The Framers of the 14th Amendment sought to ensure that the United States would never again tolerate an underclass of people denied full equality by accident of birth.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026

She is best known for the Noughts & Crosses series, which explores the divide between a black elite and a white underclass in a dystopian London.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

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

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