blue-collar

adjective

blue-col·​lar ˈblü-ˈkä-lər 

1

: of, relating to, or constituting the class of wage earners whose duties call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare white-collar

2

: having characteristics associated with blue-collar workers: such as

a

: having, showing, or appealing to unpretentious or unsophisticated tastes

… a new blue-collar serial … woven around a minor-league baseball team …

—Steven Flax

b

: dependable and hard-working rather than showy or spectacular

a blue-collar athlete

Examples of blue-collar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the majority of parents still prefer a four-year college education for their children, a new survey from American Student Assistance found that 35% believe some form of technical education or a blue-collar career may be better suited for their child. —Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2025

But they are cut of the same cloth, born in blue-collar Pennsylvania towns where their fathers starred as high school coaches. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

The flashback scene begins with riots over House's company, RobCo Industries, and its innovations stealing jobs, and then cuts to a bar, where a group of angry, blue-collar workers are watching House on TV. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Dec. 2025

These seasonal park employees are largely paid hourly and hold blue-collar roles, such as janitors, trail workers, electricians, painters, and mechanics. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blue-collar

• footballer
• installer
• caller
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar
• smaller

Kids Definition

blue-collar

adjective

ˈblü-ˈkäl-ər

: of or relating to the class of workers whose duties require work clothes