1
as in inferior
of little or less value or merit
a playwright who produced only second-class work when he turned his hand to poetry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
it's only a second-class restaurant and not worth the high prices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-class
Raising girls in a world where women are often treated as second-class citizens isn’t easy.
—
Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
Free public markets let anyone own anything but retail investors often still feel like second-class citizens in the world of finance.
—Philip Maymin, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Ever since the Japanese takeover, the islanders have complained of being second-class citizens.
—Martin Fackler, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Their ascent through the 80s Los Angeles music scene—no easy matter in an industry that treated women like second-class citizens, or worse—and ultimate foundering are meticulously chronicled in Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of The Bangles.
—airmail.news, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
Free public markets let anyone own anything but retail investors often still feel like second-class citizens in the world of finance.
—Philip Maymin, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Ever since the Japanese takeover, the islanders have complained of being second-class citizens.
—Martin Fackler, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Their ascent through the 80s Los Angeles music scene—no easy matter in an industry that treated women like second-class citizens, or worse—and ultimate foundering are meticulously chronicled in Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of The Bangles.
—airmail.news, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class
Adjective
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Science popularization should not be considered as inferior to or detracting from traditional scientific research.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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The only asterisk is that their recent wins have mostly come against inferior opponents – Washington’s record is only 3-4-1 against teams in a playoff spot since the 4 Nations Face-Off. 4.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Both of these teams are off to decent starts, as Detroit leads the AL Central and the Yanks have, ahem, torpedoeed their way to a 6-5 record thus far.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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At least, thanks to a decent selection of ports, both machines will easily work with the usual Mac accessories, and both models are outfitted with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Three other family members, two children and one 19-year-old, suffered minor wounds.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The group were among around 7,000 people recently released from scam centers run by criminal gangs and warlords operating along Myanmar’s border with Thailand, where many are held against their will and forced to work conning ordinary people, including American citizens, out of their life savings.—
Teele Rebane,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
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For most ordinary owners, there's always one area of the house that could use a little TLC.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In 2022, the average (mean) net worth of American families topped $1 million for the first time, up 42% from $749,000 in 2019.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The full cast of Norse godhood is here, specifically Thor — who is portrayed like Valhalla’s meanest bar bouncer.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The sound from the optional Bose 12-speaker upgrade is satisfactory.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Yet a great deal remained to be paid with funds expected after the submission of satisfactory progress reports.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Toss in a damp towel or a handful of ice cubes alongside your polyester item, then run the dryer on medium heat for five to ten minutes.—
Katelyn Squiers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2025
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Over medium heat, cook the chicken between 20 and 25 minutes, turning it 4 times.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And most VCs seem to be average or mediocre at best.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Milwaukee sits with a mediocre 5-5 record, while New Orleans sits with a 3-7 record.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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