blue-collar

adjective

blue-col·​lar ˈblü-ˈkä-lər 

1

: of, relating to, or constituting the class of wage earners whose duties call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare white-collar

2

: having characteristics associated with blue-collar workers: such as

a

: having, showing, or appealing to unpretentious or unsophisticated tastes

a new blue-collar serial … woven around a minor-league baseball team

—Steven Flax

b

: dependable and hard-working rather than showy or spectacular

a blue-collar athlete

Examples of blue-collar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But his blue-collar Ohio father apparently isn't going to stretch himself too thin for the occasion. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024

To complete the Chargers’ blue-collar mentality, black lunch pails were recently dropped at every locker. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

Progressives have been vocal about rekindling the Democrats’ relationship with working-class voters since the 2024 election showed blue-collar support trending toward Trump. —Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Dec. 2024

Dark blue represents our blue-collar attitude and industrial power. —Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

blue-collar

adjective

ˈblü-ˈkäl-ər

: of or relating to the class of workers whose duties require work clothes