wage

1 of 2

noun

ˈwāj 

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)

wageless

ˈwāj-ləs 

adjective

wage

2 of 2

verb

waged; waging

transitive verb

: to engage in or carry on

wage war

wage a campaign

intransitive verb

: to be in process of occurring

the riot waged for several hours

—Amer. Guide Series: Md.

Synonyms

Noun

• salary

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

Noun

After the regime's move in late 2023 to raise official wages tenfold, the average worker now earns about 30,000 North Korean won—less than $4—per month, analysts say. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025

The German signed a new deal — his current one — helping to spread his wages over more years. —Pol Ballús, New York Times, 27 June 2025

Verb

But that could change if the ceasefire between Iran and Israel collapses or if independent hacking groups supporting Iran make good on promises to wage their own digital conflict against the U.S., analysts and cyber experts say. —Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025

Those charges stemmed from attacks Barnett allegedly waged on the mother of his child between last December and April of this year, according to NBC News and Salt Lake City’s ABC4. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, pledge, recompense, from Anglo-French wage, gage, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wetti pledge — more at wed

Verb

Middle English, to offer surety, put up as a stake, hire, from Anglo-French *wager, gager, from wage

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing wage

• fair wage
• honest wage
• living wage
• minimum wage
• wage earner
• wage scale
• wage slave
• wage slavery

Rhymes for wage

• age
• gauge
• phage
• plage
• rage
• stage
• alienage
• assuage
• backstage
• bocage
• downstage
• engage

Kids Definition

wage

1 of 2 verb

ˈwāj 

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 noun

1

: 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

Legal Definition

wage

noun

1

: a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to a contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis

—often used in pl.

2

plural : the share of the national product attributable to labor as a factor in production