middle-class
Neither wealthy nor poor
Middle-class describes the economic and social stratum between wealthy and poor—typically professionals, managers, and skilled workers with moderate incomes and stable employment.
The term carries connotations of conventional respectability, suburban life, and mainstream values: middle-class aspirations, a middle-class upbringing.
As a noun with the article: the middle class is shrinking.
The boundaries are fuzzy and shift with context—what counts as middle-class varies by country, era, and who's claiming membership.
Middle-class and conventional
- white-collarOffice work designation
- salariedPaid fixed regular amount
- professionalCredentialed in one's field
- yuppieAmbitious urban professional
burgher · WASP · strivers · squeezed · homeowner · taxpayer · consumer · mainstream
Of residential outskirts
Adherence to norms
- mainstreamDominant cultural current
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
- decencyMoral appropriateness in behavior
- respectabilityMoral and social worthiness
suburbia · church-going · tradition · norms · etiquette · conservatism · PTA · minivan
Protected from harm
- homeownershipLegally possessing residential property
- savingsAccumulated money kept
- pensionRetiree's ongoing benefit
- leisureFree time for relaxation
vacations · amenities · retirement · investment · contentment · sufficiency · planning · stability
Earnest sustained endeavor
- self-improvementEnhancing oneself deliberately
- ambitionDesire for achievement
- goal-orientedFocused on objectives
- achievementAccomplished goal or deed
hardworking · determination · prosperity · dreams · progress · aspiration · self-made · betterment
Higher education institution
- diplomaAcademic completion document
- graduateOne who earned degree
- bachelor'sFirst university degree
- master'sAdvanced graduate credential
literacy · credentialed · well-read · tutoring · SAT · honors · extracurriculars · alumni
One who instructs others
- nurseHealthcare provider, bedside
- engineerTechnical design professional
- accountantFinancial records keeper
- managerOne who directs others
pharmacist · realtor · consultant · analyst · administrator · paralegal · technician · salesperson
Division into distinct levels
- demographicsStatistical population characteristics
- inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
- cost-of-livingPrice of basic needs
- affluenceAbundance of money
bourgeois
Middle-class and conventional
- white-collarOffice work designation
- salariedPaid fixed regular amount
- professionalCredentialed in one's field
yuppie · burgher · WASP · strivers · squeezed · homeowner · taxpayer · consumer · mainstream · ordinary
suburban
Of residential outskirts
minivan · cul-de-sac · mortgage · healthcare · recreation
conformity
Adherence to norms
- mainstreamDominant cultural current
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
- decencyMoral appropriateness in behavior
respectability · suburbia · church-going · tradition · norms · etiquette · conservatism · PTA · minivan · cookout
secure
Protected from harm
- homeownershipLegally possessing residential property
- savingsAccumulated money kept
- pensionRetiree's ongoing benefit
leisure · vacations · amenities · retirement · investment · contentment · sufficiency · planning · stability · 401k
striving
Earnest sustained endeavor
- self-improvementEnhancing oneself deliberately
- ambitionDesire for achievement
- goal-orientedFocused on objectives
achievement · hardworking · determination · prosperity · dreams · progress · aspiration · self-made · betterment · climbing
university
Higher education institution
- diplomaAcademic completion document
- graduateOne who earned degree
- bachelor'sFirst university degree
master's · literacy · credentialed · well-read · tutoring · SAT · honors · extracurriculars · alumni · certification
teacher
One who instructs others
- nurseHealthcare provider, bedside
- engineerTechnical design professional
- accountantFinancial records keeper
manager · pharmacist · realtor · consultant · analyst · administrator · paralegal · technician · salesperson · supervisor
stratification
Division into distinct levels
- demographicsStatistical population characteristics
- inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
- cost-of-livingPrice of basic needs
- wealth statuspoor, rich, wealthy, affluent, low income
- statusstatus, prestige, ranking, reputation, elite
- familiarityfamiliar, unfamiliar, known, unknown, acquainted
- commonerscommoner, commoners, peasant, peasants, common people
middle-classworking-class
Manual laborers as group
upper-class · lower-class · wealthy · poor · blue-collar
middle-classbohemian
Artistic nonconformist type
aristocratic · countercultural · unconventional · avant-garde · working-class
middle-classproletarian
Wage laborer, no capital
bourgeois · working-class · capitalist · ruling class · propertyless
class, middle, classical, classic, midway, classify, classroom, middleman, classification