second-class citizen: Meaning and Definition of

sec'ond-class cit'izen

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a citizen, esp. a member of a minority group, who is denied the social, political, and economic benefits of citizenship.
  2. a person who is not accorded a fair share of respect, recognition, or consideration: The boss treats us all like second-class citizens.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.