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

Graduate unemployment is at 23 percent, white-collar job growth has slowed to a creeping one percent this year, and nearly a quarter of Indians between the ages of 15 and 29 are not in employment, education, or training programs. — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Our newest crop of delusionals is mostly white-collar professionals in their 30s with a surprisingly low level of Boston pride. — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

More supplementing than replacing the famous FBI’s Most Wanted list, the currently 13 crook strong Most Wanted Fraudsters list was launched on June 4, 2026 to focus on white-collar crimes. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

The company appears to be one of the town's biggest white-collar employers, occupying at least four building blocks in the town. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 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