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

Accessibility and community care are important; the festival offers sliding scale pricing, live streams for most shows, 11 events with ASL interpreters, and have even programmed a gender-affirming care fair on April 11where attendees can meet real trans healthcare practitioners. —Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Most nonprofits offer classes, reviews or sliding scales for people in financial distress. —Harlan Vaughn, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026

But there has historically been a sliding scale of qualifying expertise, says former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino. —Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026

Families generally pay the rest of their child care center costs on a sliding scale. —Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026

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