subminimum

adjective

sub·​min·​i·​mum ˌsəb-ˈmi-nə-məm How to pronounce subminimum (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tax-free tips are a weak substitute for an end to the $2.13 subminimum hourly wage and a full minimum wage (or more, much more) plus tips. Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 July 2025 In 2025, workers with disabilities are the only group still legally subject to subminimum wages under federal law. Doug Melville, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 The subminimum wage is even lower — $2.13/hour — at the federal level, where it’s remained frozen since 1991. Marino Santoro, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025 Aimed squarely at leaders in Denver and Boulder, House Bill 1208 allows local governments to adjust the subminimum wage paid to tipped workers in restaurants. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for subminimum

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subminimum was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Subminimum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subminimum. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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