sliding scale

noun

1
: a wage scale geared to the selling price of the product or to the consumer price index but usually guaranteeing a minimum below which the wage will not fall
2
a
: a system for raising or lowering tariffs in accord with price changes
b
: a flexible scale (as of fees or subsidies) adjusted to the needs or income of individuals
the sliding scale of medical fees

Examples of sliding scale in a Sentence

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.
Packages are offered on a sliding scale that starts at $1,499. Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 Another angle is a sliding scale, which is what Anthropic is moving toward. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 Under a proposal being discussed with industry, an existing government royalty of 10% on the value of nickel ore mined would be replaced by a sliding scale based on the price of ore, starting at 14% and rising to 19%. Tim Treadgold, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 And Elo-Rivera suggested such a measure could create a sliding scale, where the owners of inexpensive cars would pay much less than the owners of cars valued at more than $100,000. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sliding scale

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sliding scale was in 1842

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Cite this Entry

“Sliding scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sliding%20scale. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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