underclass
/ˈʌndəˌklɑːs/ noun [C, usually singular] ECONOMICSDefinition
› the poorest people in a society, especially when discussing their lack of opportunities to find work: Letting guest workers into America doesn't create an underclass. The nation needs to reduce the vast gap between the wealthy and a jobless underclass.
(Definition of underclass noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
Our dictionaries
Browse the Thesaurus
Browse the Dictionary
Word of the Day
be under a cloud
to not be trusted or popular because people think you have done something bad
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
