white-collar

adjective

white-col·​lar ˈ(h)wīt-ˈkä-lər 

: 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

The office is considered one of the most prestigious and high-profile in the country, and is known for its prosecution of white-collar cases involving public corruption, insider trading and other financial crimes. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 11 June 2026

The initiative comes as Americans debate the increasingly unpredictable value of a four-year college degree and uncertainty over the future of white-collar work. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 10 June 2026

That work would go beyond white-collar jobs. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 10 June 2026

And with the rollout of artificial intelligence at workplaces threatening to displace white-collar jobs, workers are riddled with fear about their futures. —Dee Depass, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white-collar

• eurodollar
• caller
• choler
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar
• smaller

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