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

Just what, exactly, is so relatable about the slapstick odyssey of this unfortunate white-collar dweeb? —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025

With sky-high valuations for the largest AI players such as OpenAI and Anthropic, AI has heat with investors at a time when the ranks of white-collar executive jobs in traditional media are are disappearing fast. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025

As software automates repetitive white-collar tasks, humans will move up the value chain, teaching machines how to reason, decide, and create. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025

Samidh Guha is an ABC News legal contributor and a white-collar criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. —Samidh Guha, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white-collar

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

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