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

Obviously, there’s a sliding scale here. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 May 2026

Tickets are per car and are on a sliding scale of $10, $20, or $35. —Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026

The maximum owed under that sliding scale for people whose income is on the higher end of the range is $1,625 for an individual and $3,250 for a family. —Julie Appleby, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026

And supporters started a nonprofit to help pay for the costs of the medication and additional staffing, bringing the price for patients down from about $450 to an average of about $225, based on a sliding scale. —Kate Wells, NPR, 8 Apr. 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