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

By the standards of blue-collar Philippine life, Teresita had a comfortable upbringing. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 July 2026

Burnham, 56, often highlights his northern, blue-collar roots. — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 19 July 2026

In Kansas City, Fermin was always known as a blue-collar worker. — Kansas City Star, 19 July 2026

Professors’ kids rubbed shoulders with the children of professionals as well as with those of blue-collar workers and farmers from the town’s outskirts. — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blue-collar

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

Kids Definition

blue-collar

adjective

ˈblü-ˈkäl-ər

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