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
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
Even many blue-collar workers are suspicious of the organizing efforts.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024
The narrative goes that, in the first decades after World War II, Americans could provide for a family on a single, blue-collar income, buy a house, and send their kids to college.
—John Gustavsson, National Review, 11 May 2024
Once a blue-collar trade, journalists now disproportionately come from affluent families.
—Tina Vasquez, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
Nebraska had the trademark blue-collar vibe of many other Springsteen albums, but this was also full of bleak and hopeless themes, accompanied by a sparse instruments.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
It was facilitated by the weakening of organized labor in the United States, as blue-collar workers could not prevent the offshoring of their jobs.
—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
In 2016, the defection of many blue-collar voters and union members in those states was arguably the decisive factor in Hillary Clinton’s defeat.
—Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
While overall relations have stabilized of late, tensions are growing over Chinese investments in manufacturing that risk leading to job losses among blue-collar workers.
—TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
But his policies have irritated some blue-collar union members, many of whom voted for Mr. Trump in the last election.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024
The narrative goes that, in the first decades after World War II, Americans could provide for a family on a single, blue-collar income, buy a house, and send their kids to college.
—John Gustavsson, National Review, 11 May 2024
Once a blue-collar trade, journalists now disproportionately come from affluent families.
—Tina Vasquez, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
Nebraska had the trademark blue-collar vibe of many other Springsteen albums, but this was also full of bleak and hopeless themes, accompanied by a sparse instruments.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
It was facilitated by the weakening of organized labor in the United States, as blue-collar workers could not prevent the offshoring of their jobs.
—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
In 2016, the defection of many blue-collar voters and union members in those states was arguably the decisive factor in Hillary Clinton’s defeat.
—Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
While overall relations have stabilized of late, tensions are growing over Chinese investments in manufacturing that risk leading to job losses among blue-collar workers.
—TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
But his policies have irritated some blue-collar union members, many of whom voted for Mr. Trump in the last election.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue-collar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Blue-collar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue-collar. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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