Upper Class

Upper Class

A socioeconomic term used to describe individuals who reside above both the working class and middle class of a social hierarchy. Individuals in the upper class have higher levels of disposable income, greater say in the political realm and exert more control over the use of natural resources. While the upper class makes up a small percentage of the overall population, it controls a disproportionately large amount of the overall wealth.

From a historical perspective, the upper class was dominated by land-owning nobility and aristocrats. Over the years the term has expanded to include celebrities, politicians, investors and other wealthy people.

While those in the upper class ("the rich") do exert significant control over economic and political developments, most production activities and consumption is done by the working and middle classes.


Investment dictionary. . 2012.

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  • upper class — upper classes also upper class N COUNT COLL: usu the N The upper class or the upper classes are the group of people in a society who own the most property and have the highest social status, and who may not need to work for money. ...goods… …   English dictionary

  • upper class — UK US noun [S] ECONOMICS ► a social group consisting of the people who have the highest social rank and who are usually rich: »The upper classes usually send their children to private schools. → Compare LOWER CLASS(Cf. ↑lower class), THE MIDDLE… …   Financial and business terms

  • upper-class — UK US noun [S] ECONOMICS ► a social group consisting of the people who have the highest social rank and who are usually rich: »The upper classes usually send their children to private schools. → Compare LOWER CLASS(Cf. ↑lower class), THE MIDDLE… …   Financial and business terms

  • upper class — n the upper class the group of people who belong to the highest social class >upper class adj ▪ upper class families …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • upper class — n. the social class above the middle class; rich, socially prominent, or aristocratic class upper class adj …   English World dictionary

  • upper class — ► NOUN (treated as sing. or pl. ) ▪ the social group with the highest status, especially the aristocracy. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ relating to the upper class …   English terms dictionary

  • upper class — upper class, adj. a class of people above the middle class, having the highest social rank or standing based on wealth, family connections, and the like. [1830 40] * * * …   Universalium

  • upper class — index society Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Upper class — Is a concept in sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class often have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area. The phrase upper class has had …   Wikipedia

  • upper class — Conventionally the upper class is often thought of as equivalent to the ‘aristocracy’: that is, the (often hereditary) noble class, comprising peers (in medieval England the dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons) and landed magnates (or …   Dictionary of sociology

  • upper-class — adjective occupying the highest socioeconomic position in a society • Ant: ↑lower class, ↑middle class • Similar to: ↑quality, ↑propertied, ↑property owning, ↑u, ↑tweedy, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

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