upper class
Americannoun
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the upper class
-
education of or relating to the junior or senior classes of a college or high school
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of upper class
First recorded in 1830–40
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.
“We talk about it a lot,” Grace said, “especially since now that the year is ending, our upper class that are graduating are going straight into conflict.”
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
“Poor people are as bad off as in the special period, but a segment of middle and upper class have access to dollars and are not in such bad shape, which causes real social tension.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
A quick peek into butter’s rich history reveals that the humble dairy product was once a luxury reserved for the upper class.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2025
The Oscar-winning film, directed by James Cameron, saw Kate Winslet play upper class socialite Rose opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's third class passenger Jack Dawson on the doomed ship's maiden voyage.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2025
“No. You just switched to the upper class a few weeks ago—you can’t fall behind.”
From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.