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
Some are employed by credit unions or the military, and others offer a sliding scale.
—
Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
What Evans, Olié and their collaborators further developed was a way to visually and physically show those power dynamics – a sort of sliding scale – that essentially puts the audience into each of those characters’ shoes whenever that character is played by an actor.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
In a significant shift, the Bangladesh Labour Act Amendment (Ordinance) 2025 introduces a sliding scale based on factory size and lowers the threshold for union formation to a minimum of 20 workers.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
In order to make good food more accessible, food justice writer and advocate Mark Bittman and chef Mavis-Jay Sanders have launched a pilot program in New York City called Community Kitchen, which for a limited time is offering fine dining on a sliding scale.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sliding scale
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Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
What Evans, Olié and their collaborators further developed was a way to visually and physically show those power dynamics – a sort of sliding scale – that essentially puts the audience into each of those characters’ shoes whenever that character is played by an actor.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
In a significant shift, the Bangladesh Labour Act Amendment (Ordinance) 2025 introduces a sliding scale based on factory size and lowers the threshold for union formation to a minimum of 20 workers.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
In order to make good food more accessible, food justice writer and advocate Mark Bittman and chef Mavis-Jay Sanders have launched a pilot program in New York City called Community Kitchen, which for a limited time is offering fine dining on a sliding scale.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sliding scale
Cite this Entry
“Sliding scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sliding%20scale. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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