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 job market is rapidly shifting due to AI, displacing entry-level tech jobs, with predictions of up to half of all entry-level white-collar jobs disappearing within five years. — Anna Demeo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

After capturing the mass market, short dramas spread to China’s biggest cities and its white-collar workers. — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026

Before imposing the sentence, Rakoff reflected on the effectiveness of a prison sentence in white-collar cases. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 29 June 2026

And growing fears over diminishing job security in white-collar fields once thought of as safe are a key driver behind Americans’ growing pessimism about the economy. — D. Brian Blank, The Conversation, 29 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