white-collar

adjective

white-col·​lar ˈ(h)wīt-ˈkä-lər 

: of, relating to, or constituting the class of salaried employees whose duties do not call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare blue-collar

Examples of white-collar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And if the white-collar crime failed to impact a lot of victims and didn’t involve very large sums, the prison sentences are relatively short. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025

From a money manager parachuting from a small plane to fake his death to a nursing home executive skimming from sham contracts, these stories of privilege and white-collar crime have repeatedly thrust Indiana into the national spotlight. —Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025

Generally, fast-casual diners are higher income and more likely to have white-collar jobs. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025

In late July, the government abruptly transferred Maxwell to a minimum-security, women-only federal prison camp in Texas where most inmates are serving time for nonviolent and white-collar crimes. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white-collar

• eurodollar
• caller
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar
• smaller
• squalor

Kids Definition

white-collar

adjective

ˈhwīt-ˈkäl-ər,

ˈwīt-

: of, relating to, or being a member of the class of workers (as clerks and salespersons) whose duties do not require the wearing of work clothes