upper-class
upper-class — adjective
1. relating to the wealthiest and most powerful social group in a society, or typic
relating to the wealthiest and most powerful social group in a society, or typical of the way such people live.
Felix grew up in an upper-class neighborhood near the coast in Maine.
upper-class + noun (neighborhood)
The school was famous for teaching upper-class manners to its students.
attributive: upper-class manners
Salma's family was considered upper-class because of their long history in the town.
Upper-class families in this city often send their children to private schools.
The hotel provided the kind of service that upper-class travelers expect.
- aristocratic
more specific — refers to families with noble titles or inherited rank, not just wealth
- wealthy
focuses only on having money, not necessarily on social rank or status
- elite
emphasizes being part of a select, powerful group, often through achievement as well as birth
- lower-class
describes the social group at the bottom of the class system
- working-class
describes people who do manual or industrial work for wages
文法句型
upper-class + noun
be + upper-class
用法筆記
Write with a hyphen (upper-class) when used before a noun as an adjective. Without the hyphen (upper class), it functions as a noun.
常見錯誤
upper-class — noun
1. the group of people in a society who have the most money, power, and social stat
the group of people in a society who have the most money, power, and social status, and who typically come from wealthy families with long-established influence.
Members of the upper class often send their children to the same private schools.
the + upper class as a collective group
The upper class in this country owns a large share of the land and businesses.
Ingrid was born into the upper class but never felt comfortable with the lifestyle.
Many wealthy families from the upper class gather at the annual charity ball in Vienna.
The upper class has been criticized for having too much influence on government policy.
- aristocracy
more specific — refers to people with noble titles, not just wealthy people in general
- social elite
emphasizes being at the top of society, often through wealth, connections, or achievements
- high society
focuses on the social activities and lifestyle rather than the class structure
- the working class
people who work for wages, typically in manual or industrial jobs
- the lower class
people at the bottom of the social and economic hierarchy
文法句型
the + upper class
用法筆記
Used with the definite article 'the'. Takes a singular verb ('the upper class is...', 'the upper class owns...') even though it refers to many people. Do not use a hyphen when it is a noun.
常見錯誤
2. the highest level in a society's class system, placed above the middle class and
the highest level in a society's class system, placed above the middle class and defined by wealth, family background, and social influence.
Upper class is the highest layer in most social class systems around the world.
uncountable: upper class without 'the'
Sociologists often compare upper class, middle class, and working class in their research.
The gap between upper class and the rest of society has grown in recent decades.
Dr. Zola defined upper class as the social group with the most power.
At the charity gala, Renata was seated at the head table because of her grandmother's connections, not her parents' wealth.
- top social stratum
more formal and academic, used in sociology
- highest social tier
emphasizes the layered structure of society
- ruling class
focuses on political power rather than social standing alone
文法句型
upper class as a category
upper class and middle class
用法筆記
This sense treats 'upper class' as a conceptual category in the class system, not as a specific group of people. It is often used without the article 'the', especially in sociological writing or when listing class categories.