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
Which isn’t to say that reality TV has entirely shed its second-class reputation — as the reaction to White demonstrated.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Its long tradition of secular politics is now eclipsed by Hindu nationalism, whose proponents believe India to be the land of Hindus and that its religious minorities are, at best, second-class citizens.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
But on and off the court, the players remain second-class citizens
The cheapest ticket prices for the men’s final are £100, before rising sharply, with women’s final tickets starting at £35.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 15 June 2025
The comedy as a second-class sibling to the drama is a notion that has annoyed the people who make television comedies for years.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Its long tradition of secular politics is now eclipsed by Hindu nationalism, whose proponents believe India to be the land of Hindus and that its religious minorities are, at best, second-class citizens.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
But on and off the court, the players remain second-class citizens
The cheapest ticket prices for the men’s final are £100, before rising sharply, with women’s final tickets starting at £35.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 15 June 2025
The comedy as a second-class sibling to the drama is a notion that has annoyed the people who make television comedies for years.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class
Adjective
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Instead of allowing senior citizens and disabled first-responders choose the plan that was right for them — and the vast majority have chosen traditional Medicare — de Blasio forced every one of them into an inferior Medicare Advantage plan run by a for-profit insurance company.—
Marianne Pizzitola,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
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The bolder value vision is in using new AI capabilities to solve long-standing inefficiencies or problems that may have been targeted before, albeit with inferior technology.—
Beena Ammanath,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Like the Gin Blossoms, who once scored decent hits on the music charts, the pair did pretty well in their 2018 statewide bids for office.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
4 July 2025
-
While most of the passengers hail from outside Cook County, a decent percentage are like me, locals proud to call this toddlin’ town home.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Besides the home advantage, Pia Sundhage’s side had a minor edge on goal difference, which meant a draw would be enough for them.—
Neel Shelat,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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If some minor differences related to your job occur today, don’t let this get in the way of happy times with others.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Though North Korea sent over special forces units that are better trained and supplied than ordinary infantry, the initial deployment lacked an effective and agile command structure.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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The researchers suggest a particular chemical marker that could be a dead giveaway of dark dwarfs — the isotope lithium-7, which burns easily and is therefore quickly consumed by ordinary stars.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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The World Meteorological Association has said global mean near-surface temperatures are expected to remain at, or near, record levels for the next five years.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
The series of short social media videos follows Chit, a slightly awkward and slightly hunched office worker who sports a mean bowl cut and Jeffrey Dahmer-style glasses.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
The other specs are perfectly satisfactory for a model at this price.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
9 July 2025
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Synan’s attorney declined to comment on a similar question, as well as a question about whether the resignation is a satisfactory outcome for the police chief.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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The finish is medium in length and smooth, with lingering notes of vanilla and caramel.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
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The finish is medium to long with notes of cinnamon, barrel char and green pepper corn spice.—
Gege Reed,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Stach was a dependable regular in a Hoffenheim side that had a mediocre 2024-25 season, finishing 15th in the league.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
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First, how will the Bear recover from that mediocre review — and can its comeback be achieved before the joint runs out of money?—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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