upper class
upper class — noun
1. the group of people in a society who hold the highest social position, typically
the group of people in a society who hold the highest social position, typically owning the most money, land, and influence
In Victorian Britain, the upper class lived in grand houses and employed many servants.
the upper class + in [place/time] for historical context
Kabir studied how the upper class in colonial India controlled most of the farmland.
Anjali's grandmother belonged to the upper class but lost everything during the war.
Writers of that era often made fun of the upper class and their lavish parties.
The upper class in eighteenth-century France paid almost no taxes at all.
- aristocracy
implies hereditary titles and formal nobility, narrower than 'upper class'
- elite
broader term covering power and influence in any field, not only social rank
- gentry
specifically land-owning class below the nobility, mainly used in British contexts
- lower class
the social group with the least wealth and status
- working class
people who do manual or industrial work for wages
文法句型
the + upper class
the upper class + verb (singular or plural)
用法筆記
Written as two separate words without a hyphen. Distinguish from the adjective form 'upper-class', which is hyphenated when used before a noun.
常見錯誤
upper class — adjective
1. describing people, places, or things that belong to or are connected with the hi
describing people, places, or things that belong to or are connected with the highest social group in a society
Iris bought the house from an upper-class family that had lived there for generations.
upper-class + family for describing social background
The restaurant's upper-class customers expected only the finest service and food.
Felipe felt awkward at the upper-class wedding because he could not afford the right clothes.
The old hotel still kept its upper-class style with chandeliers and marble floors.
Aylin adopted an upper-class accent after years of living in the wealthy part of London.
- aristocratic
suggests hereditary nobility, more formal than 'upper-class'
- posh
informal British term for elegant or upper-class style
- high-class
emphasises quality and expense more than social rank
- working-class
describing people or things connected with manual labour
- lower-class
describing the least wealthy or powerful social group
文法句型
upper-class + noun
用法筆記
Typically hyphenated before a noun: 'an upper-class neighbourhood'. Often written without the hyphen in predicative position: 'The family is upper class.'