Phrase guide

upper class

noun · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌʌpəˈklɑːs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌʌpɚˈklæs/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A class of people at the top of a social hierarchy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: the quality

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The aristocracy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the class occupying the highest position in the social hierarchy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: upper crust

Antonyms: none provided

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

Narrower terms: elite, elite group, gentry, aristocracy, ruling class, people in power

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: الطَّبَقَة الْعُلْيَا (aṭ-ṭabaqa al-ʕulyā) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Armenian: վերին դաս (verin das) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Bulgarian: ви́сша кла́са (vísša klása) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Catalan: classe alta — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 上層階級 /上层阶级 (shàngcéng jiējí) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Danish: overklasse — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Dutch: bovenklasse — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Estonian: kõrgklass — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Finnish: yläluokka — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • French: classe supérieure — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Galician: clase alta — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Georgian: მაღალი კლასი (maɣali ḳlasi) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Georgian: მაღალი კლასის საზოგადოება (maɣali ḳlasis sazogadoeba) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • German: Oberschicht — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Hindi: उच्च वर्ग (ucc varg) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Hungarian: felső osztály — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Italian: classe superiore — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Japanese: 上流階級 (jōryū kaikyū) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Korean: 상류층 (sangnyucheung) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Korean: 상층 계급 (sangcheung gyegeup) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Macedonian: ви́сока кла́са (vísoka klása) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overklasse — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: overklasse — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Iranian Persian: طَبَقِهٔ بالا (tabaġe-ye bâlâ) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Polish: klasa wyższa — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Portuguese: classe alta — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Romanian: clasa superioară — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Romanian: aristocrație — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Russian: вы́сший класс (výsšij klass) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Spanish: clase alta — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Swedish: överklass — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Thai: ชนชั้นสูง — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Turkish: üst tabaka — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Turkish: üst sınıf — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Ukrainian: ви́щий клас (výščyj klas) — those people at the top of a social hierarchy
  • Catalan: classe alta — aristocracy
  • Dutch: aristocratie — aristocracy
  • Finnish: yläluokka — aristocracy
  • French: aristocratie — aristocracy
  • Galician: aristocracia — aristocracy
  • German: Adelsschicht — aristocracy
  • Macedonian: ви́сока кла́са (vísoka klása) — aristocracy
  • Polish: arystokracja — aristocracy
  • Polish: szlachta — aristocracy
  • Romanian: aristocrație — aristocracy
  • Russian: вы́сший класс (výsšij klass) — aristocracy
  • Russian: аристокра́тия (aristokrátija) — aristocracy
  • Swedish: överklass — aristocracy