minimum wage

noun

1

: living wage

2

: the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid

specifically : a wage fixed by legal authority or by contract as the least that may be paid either to employed persons generally or to a particular category of employed persons

Examples of minimum wage in a Sentence

Congress will vote on a bill to raise the minimum wage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Athletes who earn an individual gold medal at a Games are further rewarded with a monthly pension that is double the net minimum wage. —Liam Tharme, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

Rather than choose a class, players start off as Understaffed Workers, the future dino snacks working at the big science theme park for minimum wage. —Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

There were food shortages and power outages; a bottle of ketchup might cost nine dollars, while the monthly minimum wage was six dollars. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Raising it provides an immediate boost to minimum wage workers. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for minimum wage

• alienage
• age
• gauge
• phage
• plage
• rage
• stage
• assuage
• backstage
• bocage
• downstage
• engage

Kids Definition

minimum wage

noun

: a wage fixed (as by law) as the least that may be paid to employed persons

Legal Definition

minimum wage

noun

: a wage fixed by contract or especially by law as the least that may be paid either to employees generally or to a particular category of employees compare scale