sliding scale

noun

1

: a wage scale geared to the selling price of the product or to the consumer price index but usually guaranteeing a minimum below which the wage will not fall

2

a

: a system for raising or lowering tariffs in accord with price changes

b

: a flexible scale (as of fees or subsidies) adjusted to the needs or income of individuals

the sliding scale of medical fees

Examples of sliding scale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mercifully—because that sounds like an awful way to wake up and go to bed every single day—fear is the beam on an emotional sliding scale. —Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025

Fees for those without insurance are charged on a sliding scale according to the patient's income level. —Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2025

Imagine if digital health platforms enabled sliding scale payments, automated Medicaid copay lookups, or used BNPL infrastructure for procedures not covered by insurance. —Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025

The United States should thus build its sanctions relief framework on a sliding scale that ties relief to domestic enrichment restrictions. —Richard Nephew, Foreign Affairs, 26 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sliding scale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale