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
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.
Service contractors operating in Tier One jurisdictions are required to pay a living wage of at least $16.63, whereas service contractors operating in Tier 2 jurisdictions are required to pay at least $15 per hour. Scott T. Gibson, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2025 The union, which started in 2022, said Amazon employees work for a multi-billion dollar corporation and deserve a living wage. Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025 Amy Sussman / Getty Images Chappell Roan wins best new artist and makes an impassioned speech, demanding record labels pay their artists a living wage and provide them with health insurance. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2025 International equity leaders frequently discuss working to implement living wages versus minimum wages, clear paths to international mobility and pay equity across borders. Doug Melville, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for living wage

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of living wage was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Living wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/living%20wage. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on living wage

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