living wage
noun
1
: a subsistence wage
2
: a wage sufficient to provide the necessities and comforts essential to an acceptable standard of living
Examples of living wage in a Sentence
He was barely earning a living wage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator, the report found that 65.7% of entry-level jobs in KC pay a living wage of $22.75 an hour or $47,320 annually.
—
Ramal Nasim, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
Union workers, most importantly, who couldn’t afford to feed their children and needed a living wage.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025
May Day typically draws rallies and protests in support of labor, living wages and working conditions.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator, a living wage for one person living on their own is $23.18 an hour, or $48,214 a year.
—Daniel Schrager, Idaho Statesman, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for living wage
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ramal Nasim, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
Union workers, most importantly, who couldn’t afford to feed their children and needed a living wage.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025
May Day typically draws rallies and protests in support of labor, living wages and working conditions.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator, a living wage for one person living on their own is $23.18 an hour, or $48,214 a year.
—Daniel Schrager, Idaho Statesman, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for living wage
Cite this Entry
“Living wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/living%20wage. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share