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
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Two others had come to the industry after white-collar jobs in health care. Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025 Other industries that have recently displayed weak hiring are information and finance, which employ a lot of white-collar workers. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 My modest white-collar salary was twice what I’d been paid at any previous job. Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025 Most white-collar entry-level jobs require a college degree, which has become a severe economic burden for younger generations. Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 21 Dec. 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 3 Jan. 2026.

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

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