Classists

/ˈklæsɪsts/ noun

Definition

People who discriminate against others based on their social or economic class.

Etymology

From 'class' (from Latin classis, meaning division or fleet) + '-ist' (one who practices). The suffix '-ist' was added to 'class' to create 'classist' in the 20th century during discussions of social inequality.

Kelly Says

The word 'classist' is relatively modern—it emerged prominently in the 1960s-70s as people began naming prejudice based on wealth and status the same way they named racism and sexism, showing how language evolves to describe injustices we suddenly recognize.

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