# underclass

/ˈəndɝˌkɫæs/ (US) · /ˌʌndəklˈɑːs/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/underclass
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

a group of people at the very bottom of society, often with very little money, work, or support.

For teachers: a population segment occupying the lowest social and economic stratum, marked by persistent poverty, unemployment, and limited social mobility.

## Examples

- Many programs aim to help the underclass find work.
- The report warns that cuts to benefits will hit the underclass hardest in former industrial towns.
- Sociologists debate whether the underclass reflects structural economic failure or entrenched patterns of disadvantage passed across generations in deindustrialised neighbourhoods.

## Antonyms

elite

## Usage notes

- Typically used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the group as a whole.

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