classism
noun
class·ism
ˈkla-ˌsi-zəm 
1
: a belief that a person's social or economic station in society determines their value in that society
[Michael] Moore helped create the era of snark, but he also bore a lot of it, and much of the criticism of him carries a whiff of classism.—
Jessica Pressler
Jessica Pressler
also
: behavior that reflects this belief : prejudice or discrimination based on class
… the show explores classism and white privilege by comparing how school administrators treat him, as a rich white boy from a family with Ivy League pedigree, versus how they treat Latina and working-class Moe. —Roxana Hadadi
Roxana Hadadi 2
: the systemic oppression of the lower class and middle class to the advantage of the upper class
Further, this is one way to dismantle the power difference society's privileges grant us through such institutions as racism or classism …—Sarah Lucia Hoagland
Sarah Lucia HoaglandExamples of classism in a Sentence
a society plagued by racism and classism
Recent Examples on the Web
However, for me, there has to be an essence of classism in there.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Most frustrating, Orwell’s limitations both politically and personally — especially the sexism, homophobia, and classism that occasionally seeped into his novels and essays — don’t receive much implicit or explicit acknowledgement within the film.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
But for the genre’s devotees, the bans smack of classism.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
Eight-year-old maid Toha goes to great lengths to ensure that her best friend Nelly, the daughter of her wealthy employer, has a successful birthday party in this poignant debut feature exploring classism in modern-day Cairo.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
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Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Most frustrating, Orwell’s limitations both politically and personally — especially the sexism, homophobia, and classism that occasionally seeped into his novels and essays — don’t receive much implicit or explicit acknowledgement within the film.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
But for the genre’s devotees, the bans smack of classism.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
Eight-year-old maid Toha goes to great lengths to ensure that her best friend Nelly, the daughter of her wealthy employer, has a successful birthday party in this poignant debut feature exploring classism in modern-day Cairo.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for classism
Cite this Entry
“Classism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classism. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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