upper class
15
3.4
- noun
- /ˈʌpər klæs/
:
clase alta
- Unfortunately, these fee-based programs and services are unaffordable for most and thus serve only the upper classes.
- middle and upper class
- upper class elites
- members of the upper class
In India, believe it or not, it was for a show for the upper classes.
- In India, believe it or not, it was for a show for the upper classes.
- And that that would be a problem if if indeed the art of the elites in the upper classes is supposed to be universal art.
- And the upper classes of the country are trying to establish what we now recognise as a country.
- He'd seen brought many Romans to their death and seen many of the leaders of the Roman upper class, including that Cato who was so dear to George Washington.
- We weren't sleeping on the streets, we weren't middle upper class.
- You know, many of them were were upper class or noble, noble men who had gone into this profession.
- I think it's going to start hitting the middle very, we don't have a big middle class anymore, but the upper middle class and upper class.
Examples
-
It's rather embarrassing with the upper class.
-
Many members of the upper class attend exclusive events that highlight their wealth and influence.
-
Like, at the end of the day, you and I know this because we grew up in upper middle class, upper class white circles.
-
Oh, I'm just very friendly with a very upper class British family.
-
In 1951, the American upper class kept its boys in shorts for as long as possible.
Fiction book (2002) -
They are from an upper class section of New York.
-
She was a lady from the upper class in Rome.
-
Macau's class structure consists of three sectors: upper class, middle class, and lower class.
Academic text (1990) -
So, tell me, what's a beautiful, young, American Ping-Pong player doing mingling amongst the British upper class?
-
She grew up in a wealthy neighborhood, surrounded by the upper class of society.
Synonyms
258
4.7
A small group of the most powerful or rich people in a society
24
7.2
A small group of rich, powerful families who inherit titles and wealth
15
6.2
People who have inherited titles and special rights
9
5.0
A small group of people with more money, power, or education than others
9
4.2
A group of rich, fashionable people with social influence
5
6.8
A small group of the richest and most important people in society
Antonyms
How Wealthy
258
4.7
15
3.4
516
2.0
69
2.8
- Specialized
19
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the social group with the highest status, wealth, or power' is directly and predictably built from 'upper' (higher/superior) modifying 'class' (a social group). This is a straightforward adjective+noun compositional pattern that is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'clase alta'), so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The noun upper class comes from the simple image of society as levels or a ladder: upper means at the top and class means a group of people. So the phrase came to mean the 'group with the highest status, wealth, or power'.