blue-collar

adjective

blue-col·​lar ˈblü-ˈkä-lər 

1

: of, relating to, or constituting the class of wage earners whose duties call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare white-collar

2

: having characteristics associated with blue-collar workers: such as

a

: having, showing, or appealing to unpretentious or unsophisticated tastes

… a new blue-collar serial … woven around a minor-league baseball team …

—Steven Flax

b

: dependable and hard-working rather than showy or spectacular

a blue-collar athlete

Examples of blue-collar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to dethrone and destroy them, the Whitlocks are a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction – and the old king is fighting to hold onto the crown. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2026

To fight back, Randall provides a rugged blueprint for rebuilding masculinity by teaching boys essential blue-collar trades—like changing oil and home repair—to give them real-world confidence and pride. —Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Same-day or next-day access matters especially for gig and blue-collar work. —Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Indeed, the New York Fed has already discovered evidence that blue-collar workers are faring better at present than some counterparts. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blue-collar

• footballer
• installer
• caller
• choler
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar

Kids Definition

blue-collar

adjective

ˈblü-ˈkäl-ər

: of or relating to the class of workers whose duties require work clothes