Phrase guide

lower class

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A class of people in a society characterized by low incomes, low level of education, high unemployment and, as a result of these, a low social status.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the social class lowest in the social hierarchy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: underclass

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: class, stratum, social class, socio-economic class

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: الطَّبَقَاتُ الدُّنْيَا (aṭ-ṭabaqātu d-dunyā) — class of people
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下層階級 /下层阶级 (xiàcéng jiējí) — class of people
  • Finnish: alaluokka — class of people
  • French: bas peuple — class of people
  • French: petit peuple — class of people
  • Galician: clase baixa — class of people
  • Georgian: დაბალი კლასი (dabali ḳlasi) — class of people
  • Irish: ísealaicme — class of people
  • Irish: íosaicme — class of people
  • Japanese: 下層階級 (kasō kaikyū) — class of people
  • Korean: 하층 계급 (hacheung gyegeup) — class of people
  • Polish: klasa niższa — class of people
  • Portuguese: classe baixa — class of people
  • Russian: ни́зший класс (nízšij klass) — class of people
  • Spanish: clase baja — class of people
  • Swedish: underklass — class of people
  • Tamil: அடித்தட்டு (aṭittaṭṭu) — class of people
  • Turkish: alt tabaka — class of people
  • Turkish: alt sınıf — class of people
  • Ukrainian: ни́жчий клас (nýžčyj klas) — class of people