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 most promising should be the white-collar grouping of professional and business services employment, which has been showing signs of improvement after three years of job shedding. —Conor Sen, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026

High-profile business leaders such as Jamie Dimon and Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, have also warned against AI’s potential to replace white-collar workers and put people out of work. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026

Politicians are focusing more on white-collar professionals as AI advancements threaten jobs. —Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026

Then there’s the fear that AI could wipe out many entry-level and white-collar jobs, which would super-charge inequality. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 9 Mar. 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