minimum wage

noun

Synonyms of minimum wagenext
1
: living wage
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
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.
In addition to time-and-a-half pay for bank holidays, Prospect is asking for a minimum wage increase of 4 percent for members of staff earning above the living wage. — News Desk, Artforum, 12 Aug. 2026 Some economists were puzzled by the results but said higher minimum wage and the healthcare industry probably helped. — Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Advocates for high minimum wages cast themselves as fighters for the poor. — Shiv Parihar, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2026 Raise the minimum wage, expand overtime pay, get rid of tax breaks for the top 1%, create a cost of living tax cut, give small businesses a tax cut and rebuild labor unions. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for minimum wage

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of minimum wage was in 1860

Rhymes for minimum wage

See All Rhymes for minimum wage

Browse Nearby Words

minimum security prison
minimum wage
minimum weight
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Cite this Entry

“Minimum wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimum%20wage. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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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.com: Encyclopedia article about minimum wage

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