subminimum

adjective

sub·​min·​i·​mum ˌsəb-ˈmi-nə-məm 

variants or sub-minimum

: having or providing less than a specified minimum

The ore shipment was rejected for subminimum uranium content …

—The New York Times

… like most of the other early minimum wage laws, the Massachusetts law allowed for subminimum wages [=wages below a legally fixed minimum wage] for learners and children …

—Clifford F. Thies

Examples of subminimum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hingson said that before Allen arrived at the Lighthouse, blind employees earned less than minimum wage under a law that allows employers to pay disabled workers subminimum rates in certain settings. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026

Labor and employment Senate Bill 55 eliminates subminimum wages for workers with disabilities, changing how some employees are paid in Georgia. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026

Toia decried Johnson’s veto and argued the fight against ending the subminimum wage was one to defend neighborhood restaurants. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

End subminimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities to provide opportunities forworkers with disabilities to be competitively employed and participate more fully in theircommunities. — Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subminimum

• minimum