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

That number is near the highest level it’s been in five years, with federal data showing that white-collar workers and people in their prime working years have been hit the hardest by long-term unemployment. — Courtney Connley-Hampton, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Meanwhile, hiring has cooled in many white-collar sectors such as software development or marketing, the very industries most exposed to AI. — Svenja Gudell, Fortune, 18 July 2026

Ruemmler met Epstein in 2014 while working as a white-collar defense lawyer at Latham & Watkins. — Luke Fountain,emily Wilkins, CNBC, 15 July 2026

The freedom to choose your work hours has been a game changer for many white-collar workers. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white-collar

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

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