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.
While the good-paying white-collar jobs in the ‘burbs are getting slashed, the substantial workforce Capital One inherited from Discover in the city of Chicago largely has been spared. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 This might not mean mass layoffs across every white-collar industry, obviously. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 This high-security prison is a sprawling complex that houses thousands of detainees, including notorious gangsters, terrorists and prominent white-collar offenders. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 Those workers understand what a white-collar reader mostly does not, which is that the moment your knowledge leaves your hands is the moment your leverage leaves with it. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for white-collar

See All Rhymes for white-collar

Browse Nearby Words

white cohosh
white-collar
white-collar crime
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Cite this Entry

“White-collar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-collar. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of white-collar for Spanish Speakers

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