Meanings
nounupper ten thousand pl (plural only)
- colloquialdatedpluralplural onlyThe ten thousand people, more or less, who are highest in position or wealth; the upper class; the aristocracy.
Synonyms: upper ten
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe ten thousand people, more or less, who are highest in position or wealth; the upper class; the aristocracy.
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Origin
Coined in the 1800s by American poet and author Nathaniel Parker Willis.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
upper ten thousand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upper%20ten%20thousand
MLA
“upper ten thousand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upper%20ten%20thousand. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “upper ten thousand,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/upper%20ten%20thousand.
Source: upper ten thousand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.