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

Perhaps because of Chicago’s many diverse neighborhoods, or its blue-collar history, or its frigid winters, the city epitomizes the values of hard work, kindness toward others, humility, and basic common-sense and decency. —Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

Dragotta grew up in New Jersey in a blue-collar household with parents who were encouraging, taking the family to art museums in Philadelphia and Broadway shows in New York. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026

This was Perry Hall, Maryland, a blue-collar suburb in northeast Baltimore County. —Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026

The series is further described as a story about a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction — and the old king fighting to hold onto his crown. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026

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