underclass

[ uhn-der-klas, -klahs ]

noun

1. a social stratum consisting of impoverished persons with very low social status.

underclass

/ ˈʌndəˌklɑːs /

noun

1. a class beneath the usual social scale consisting of the most disadvantaged people, such as the unemployed in inner cities

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Word History and Origins

Origin of underclass¹

First recorded in 1915–20; under- + class

Example Sentences

I will secure and defend our borders — but I will also stop consigning many who are here to a permanent underclass.

From Salon

"It was an era when women were still the underclass in the working world," Natacha said.

From BBC

They’ve created a new underclass of gambling addicts while largely failing to fulfill their advocates’ assurances that state-sponsored and regulated gambling would produce a new, risk-free revenue stream for state and local budgets.

From Los Angeles Times

They are "often confronted with broad social xenophobia that sees them as something of an underclass," Prof Edward Lemon of Texas A&M University told the BBC.

From BBC

Also known as Jokowi, Widodo, now 62, nurtured an image of an Indonesian everyman with a soft spot for the underclass and down-to-earth lifestyle that resonated with a wide base of ordinary voters.

From Seattle Times