white-collar

adjective

white-col·​lar ˈ(h)wīt-ˈkä-lər How to pronounce white-collar (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting the class of salaried employees whose duties do not call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare blue-collar

Examples of white-collar 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.
Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains. Todd Leopold, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025 The sales downturn resulted in corporate operating losses, kicking off the cycle of layoffs, unscheduled contract reopenings and salary cuts for nonunion white-collar employees. Jackie Charniga, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025 The bottom line: New York being a big draw for white-collar workers holds true as ever, but plenty of other cities are getting a piece of the action, too. Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025 Amidst a potentially painful transition for big banks, and as the promise of machines doing white-collar jobs spells doomsday for middle management, brand new financial services companies already do more with less. Ruth Foxe Blader, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for white-collar

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white-collar was in 1911

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Cite this Entry

“White-collar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-collar. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

white-collar

adjective
ˈhwīt-ˈkäl-ər,
ˈwīt-
: of, relating to, or being a member of the class of workers (as clerks and salespersons) whose duties do not require the wearing of work clothes

More from Merriam-Webster on white-collar

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