second-class

1 of 2

adjective

sec·​ond-class ˈse-kən(d)-ˈklas How to pronounce second-class (audio)
-kᵊŋ-
1
: of or relating to a second class
2
: mediocre
also : socially, politically, or economically deprived

second class

2 of 2

noun

1
: the second and usually next to highest group in a classification
2
3
: a class of U.S. or Canadian mail comprising periodicals sent to regular subscribers

Examples of second-class in a Sentence

Noun The airline offers special services for travelers in first and second class. She got an upper second class in English at Oxford.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Their silence designates Arab Americans as second-class citizens. Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 Notably, the different classes of SUVs — small, midsize, and midsize luxury — were tied for the most Top Safety Pick+ awards, with five apiece; midsize luxury SUVs won 12 of the second-class awards, the most overall. William Gavin, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024 But for some Black Ellisville residents, the fountains still stir up painful memories of second-class citizenship. Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2024 Their world is contrasted with the constricted second-class milieu of the nonwhite characters, most notably the spectacular mother-daughter duo of Nell and Keesha. Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024 People convicted of infractions or misdemeanors can be meaningfully sanctioned without facing a life sentence of second-class citizenship. Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024 Christianity and Islam are cultural intrusions, and their practitioners are, at best, second-class citizens. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2023 Henry’s investment was monumental: In an age when Black women were still dismissed as second-class citizens unworthy of basic human decency, buying the very plantation on which she was raised was an unheard-of success story. Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023 Laws prevented Palestinians from owning property, working in 72 different professions, or naturalizing, relegating many to permanent poverty and second-class status. Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2023
Noun
The second class included the first efforts at artistry. Merilee Grindle, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2023 SpaceX is offering a second class of rideshare missions on its Falcon 9 rocket to serve customers seeking to go to mid-inclination orbits, Space News reports. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Aug. 2023 But the organizers say that the university has recently started cutting second classes, so that instructors no longer qualify. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Nov. 2023 So Baz, of Hawks on Hand, is now offering a second class from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 22 at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in the Montecito Heights neighborhood. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023 The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education graduated its second class of 150 physicians from the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine last May. Monica Brich, Arkansas Online, 7 May 2023 The second collection, produced by the second class of 20 students, was presented at the Drouot auction house in Paris in July 2021. Dana Thomas, New York Times, 4 July 2023 Carl Vinson Leadership Award: Presented to the second class midshipman who stands highest for the year in military performance (received for the 2021-2022 academic year). Katia Parks, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2023 Hulu and the If/Then Shorts program have set a cohort for the second class of their short documentary lab, which focuses on production and career training for nonfiction filmmakers elevating LGBTQ stories. Selome Hailu, Variety, 16 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of second-class was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near second-class

second childhood

second-class

second class

Cite this Entry

“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-class. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

second-class

adjective
1
: of or relating to a class next below the first or highest class
2
b
: deprived of wealth or social rank
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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