upper-class
upper-class — 形容詞
1. relating to the wealthiest and most powerful social group in a society, or typic
上流的；上等
屬於社會最高階層的
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.
Felix 在緬因州海岸附近的一個上流社區長大。
upper-class + noun (neighborhood)
The school was famous for teaching upper-class manners to its students.
這所學校以教導學生上流社會的禮儀而聞名。
attributive: upper-class manners
Salma's family was considered upper-class because of their long history in the town.
Salma 的家族因在鎮上歷史悠久而被視為上流階級。
Upper-class families in this city often send their children to private schools.
這座城市的上流家庭通常送孩子去私立學校就讀。
The hotel provided the kind of service that upper-class travelers expect.
這間飯店提供了上流旅客所期待的那種服務。
- 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 — 名詞
1. the group of people in a society who have the most money, power, and social stat
上流階級
最有錢有勢的社會群體
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.
上流階級的成員通常送孩子去同一所私立學校。
the + upper class as a collective group
The upper class in this country owns a large share of the land and businesses.
這個國家的上流階級擁有大片土地和多數企業。
Ingrid was born into the upper class but never felt comfortable with the lifestyle.
Ingrid 出身於上流階級，但對這種生活方式始終感到不自在。
Many wealthy families from the upper class gather at the annual charity ball in Vienna.
許多來自上流階級的富豪家族齊聚維也納的年度慈善晚宴。
The upper class has been criticized for having too much influence on government policy.
上流階級因對政府政策影響力過大而受到批評。
- 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
最高階層
社會層級中的最頂端
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.
最高階層是世界多數社會階級體系中的最頂層。
uncountable: upper class without 'the'
Sociologists often compare upper class, middle class, and working class in their research.
社會學家在研究中經常比較上層社會、中產階級和勞工階級。
The gap between upper class and the rest of society has grown in recent decades.
近幾十年來，上層社會與其他社會階層之間的差距越來越大。
Dr. Zola defined upper class as the social group with the most power.
Zola 博士將上層社會定義為擁有最多權力的社會群體。
At the charity gala, Renata was seated at the head table because of her grandmother's connections, not her parents' wealth.
在慈善晚宴上，Renata 因祖母的人脈關係而非父母的財富而被安排到主桌入座。
- 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.