white-collar

adjective

white-col·​lar ˈ(h)wīt-ˈkä-lər How to pronounce white-collar (audio)
: 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
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.
Amazon—the company that pioneered warehouse automation and made robots the poster child of blue-collar disruption—is now signaling that the white-collar workforce may be first to feel AI’s bite. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025 Many companies have embraced AI, seeing it as a more efficient way to perform tasks previously handled by white-collar office workers. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025 The cuts would total nearly 10% of the company’s corporate jobs, as advances in artificial intelligence stoke fears about the white-collar workforce and the US labor market shows signs of weakening. Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025 The most recent layoffs represent a small percentage of the automaker’s salaried workforce, but continue a trend of white-collar U.S. headcount reductions. Michael Wayland, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for white-collar

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white-collar was in 1911

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Cite this Entry

“White-collar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-collar. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on white-collar

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