-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
minimum wage
noun
1
2
: the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid
specifically
: a wage fixed by legal authority or by contract as the least that may be paid either to employed persons generally or to a particular category of employed persons
Examples of minimum wage in a Sentence
Congress will vote on a bill to raise the minimum wage.
Recent Examples on the Web
What will the Arizona minimum wage be in 2025?
In 2025, Arizona's minimum wage will be $14.70 per hour.
—Reia Li, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
The minimum wage in Indiana is $7.25 per hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
—Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Dec. 2024
Jayaraman cited Michigan, where the state Supreme Court last summer cleared the way for a minimum wage hike, from $10.33 to $12.48 to take effect in February 2025.
—J.j. McCorvey, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024
The Biden administration is working to end a statute that has allowed companies to pay their disabled employees below the minimum wage for decades.
—Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for minimum 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.
Word History
First Known Use
1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near minimum wage
Cite this Entry
“Minimum wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimum%20wage. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
minimum wage
noun
: a wage fixed (as by law) as the least that may be paid to employed persons
Legal Definition
minimum wage
noun
: a wage fixed by contract or especially by law as the least that may be paid either to employees generally or to a particular category of employees compare scale
More from Merriam-Webster on minimum wage
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for minimum wage
Britannica English: Translation of minimum wage for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about minimum wage
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share