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
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
It was facilitated by the weakening of organized labor in the United States, as blue-collar workers could not prevent the offshoring of their jobs.
—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
In 2016, the defection of many blue-collar voters and union members in those states was arguably the decisive factor in Hillary Clinton’s defeat.
—Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
While overall relations have stabilized of late, tensions are growing over Chinese investments in manufacturing that risk leading to job losses among blue-collar workers.
—TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
But his policies have irritated some blue-collar union members, many of whom voted for Mr. Trump in the last election.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Most of all, the movie’s defining restraint is embodied in the depth and nuance of Norton’s characterization as John, a 34-year-old blue-collar Belfast resident who works as a window-cleaner, but more importantly, a loving single father, anxiously facing the most momentous decision of his life.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
My parents were blue-collar folks from Alabama, born in the early 1930s when White Only and Colored spaces were the norm.
—Vanessa Grubbs, STAT, 16 Apr. 2024
The chain had locations in blue-collar towns such as Santa Ana and Colton, but also suburbs such as Alhambra and Santa Monica.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
That comes from a blue-collar family that he was raised in.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
In 2016, the defection of many blue-collar voters and union members in those states was arguably the decisive factor in Hillary Clinton’s defeat.
—Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
While overall relations have stabilized of late, tensions are growing over Chinese investments in manufacturing that risk leading to job losses among blue-collar workers.
—TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
But his policies have irritated some blue-collar union members, many of whom voted for Mr. Trump in the last election.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Most of all, the movie’s defining restraint is embodied in the depth and nuance of Norton’s characterization as John, a 34-year-old blue-collar Belfast resident who works as a window-cleaner, but more importantly, a loving single father, anxiously facing the most momentous decision of his life.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
My parents were blue-collar folks from Alabama, born in the early 1930s when White Only and Colored spaces were the norm.
—Vanessa Grubbs, STAT, 16 Apr. 2024
The chain had locations in blue-collar towns such as Santa Ana and Colton, but also suburbs such as Alhambra and Santa Monica.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
That comes from a blue-collar family that he was raised in.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue-collar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to blue-collar
Dictionary Entries Near blue-collar
Cite this Entry
“Blue-collar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue-collar. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share