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

Similarly, Slok argued in a blog post last month, as AI makes some white-collar work more efficient, the market for those positions expands, creating more jobs. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 May 2026

Although economists disagree in their predictions, the future of the job market seems inauspicious, especially for white-collar workers. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026

Corporate America is incinerating billions of dollars trying to build AI tools that white-collar workers actually want to use. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 May 2026

Meanwhile, fears about AI taking white-collar jobs are everywhere, with programming one of the many fields that experts are saying are primed for disruption. —Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 2 May 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