1
a
: a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis
—often used in plural
b
wages plural
: the share of the national product attributable to labor as a factor in production
2
: recompense, reward
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
the wages of sin is death—
Romans 6:23 (Revised Standard Version)
Romans 6:23 (Revised Standard Version)
waged; waging
: to engage in or carry on
wage war
wage a campaign
: to be in process of occurring
the riot waged for several hours—Amer. Guide Series: Md.
Amer. Guide Series: Md.Examples of wage in a Sentence
Noun
Both of them make decent wages.
The table and chairs cost two weeks' wages.
The company offers competitive wages and good benefits.
The company gave workers a four percent wage increase this year.
Verb
They waged a guerrilla war against the government.
Local activists are waging a campaign to end homelessness in the region.
Recent Examples on the Web
Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
That provides clues on whether businesses are looking to hire and potential wage inflation.
—Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2025
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Already, Trump’s administration has waged an open war on the judiciary.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wage
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Noun
By contrast, tariffs would differentiate American industrialization from the British experience, shielding domestic labor from subsistence wages and securing workers opportunities for social-economic mobility.
— Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
That provides clues on whether businesses are looking to hire and potential wage inflation.
—Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
More: Town halls, f-bombs and Elon Musk: How Democrats are waging a new messaging war
Musk, however, has started to discuss DOGE's work in smaller terms.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Already, Trump’s administration has waged an open war on the judiciary.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wage
Cite this Entry
“Wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wage. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wage
1 of 2 verb
waged; waging
1
: to engage in or carry on
wage war
wage a campaign
2
: to be in the process of occurring
the battle waged for hours
wage
2 of 2 noun1
: a payment for work or services usually calculated on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis
—often used in plural
2
singular or plural
: something given or received because of one's actions : reward
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