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

The automation of some white-collar tasks is not a catastrophe — on the contrary. —Editorial Board, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2026

Back then, the company struggled to keep things running, often having white-collar staff attempting to do their work, Schultz said. —Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026

Concerns that technology will replace white-collar workers are bolstering the case for trades and manual labor, which are less exposed to automation (at least until the robots take over). —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026

The current reality of AI and white-collar work However, as AI experts hypothesize about when, and if, AI will disrupt white-collar work, the technology thus far has made only a small splash in professional services. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026

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