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

Affordable Support Many support services for Crohn's disease are available at no cost, and those that charge may offer sliding scale fees based on income. —Robert Burakoff, Health, 4 Apr. 2025

Though there is a bit of a splash made about using a sliding scale instead of the low, medium, and high, the rub is still about the same. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

If the error rate is 6 percent or higher, states would be subject to a sliding scale that could see their share of allotments rise to a range of between 15 percent and 25 percent. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 26 May 2025

Finishing top will bring in the region of €10m, with a sliding scale of merit payments all the way down to 36th. —Paul Taylor, New York Times, 5 Apr. 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