living wage

noun

1

: a subsistence wage

2

: a wage sufficient to provide the necessities and comforts essential to an acceptable standard of living

Examples of living wage in a Sentence

He was barely earning a living wage.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Padres, early on, implored the mayor and City Council to remove Petco Park from the tourism wage mandate, arguing that the team is already subject to the city’s living wage ordinance, which imposes a higher wage floor than the citywide minimum wage. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025

The living wage in Mecklenburg County for a single, childless adult is currently $55,307, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2025

Additionally, its collaborations with reputable manufacturers in Hawaii support living wages and ethical labor practices. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 Dec. 2025

What is considered a living wage in Indianapolis? —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for living wage

• disengage
• interstage
• macrophage
• multistage
• age
• gauge
• phage
• plage
• rage
• stage
• alienage
• assuage