CLASSIST

adjective and noun (People and Society) adjective: Discriminating against a person or group of people because of their social class; class-prejudiced. noun: A person who holds class prejudices or advocates class discrimination. Etymology: Formed by adding the suffix -ist (as in racist and sexist) to class; the corresponding -ism (classism) is a much older word, going back to the middle of the nineteenth century. History and Usage: This word belongs to the debate about social attitudes and motivations which resulted from the feminist movement of the second half of the seventies. The user called another participant in the conversation 'a classist' for arguing that (particular) middle class values and behaviors were superior. American Speech Summer 1988, p. 183