working class

¹ American  

noun

1. those persons working for wages, especially in manual labor.

2. the social or economic class composed of these workers.

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working-class ² American  

[wur-king-klas] / ˈwɜr kɪŋˌklæs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the working class, the class of wage earners or manual laborers.

   He came from a working-class neighborhood in Nova Scotia, where his mother took in laundry and his father had a job in the coal mine.

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working class British  

noun

1. Also called: proletariat.  the social stratum, usually of low status, that consists of those who earn wages, esp as manual workers Compare lower class middle class upper class

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the working class

working class Cultural  

1. In the United States, the population of blue-collar workers, particularly skilled and semiskilled laborers, who differ in values, but not necessarily in income, from the middle class. In Marxism, this term refers to propertyless factory workers.

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Other Word Forms

• working-class adjective

Etymology

Origin of working class¹

First recorded in 1805–15

Origin of working-class²

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Mejia, a union organizer, ran on a platform of affordability for the working class, including increasing funding for child care and raising taxes on the highest earners.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

The EFF, also known locally as the red berets, are known for their signature red overalls worn by party leaders in parliament, meant to symbolise their affinity with South Africa's working class.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Catholics have long served as a barometer of acceptance for newcomers and the working class.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

That claim is more supportable than the thesis Mr. Scheiber draws from it, namely the college-educated working class is becoming a dynamic force for progressive social change.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

She was a child of the working class who, through ill-considered choices and circumstance, slipped into the welfare class and had to fight her way out.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times