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

There’s also ample white-collar workers — some previously employed at Las Vegas casinos — to hire for jobs in areas like finance and human resources at LV Petroleum’s expanding corporate office. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 19 June 2026

The office is known for its prosecution of white-collar cases and financial crimes. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 17 June 2026

The deals cover about 5,400 white-collar workers, roughly 1,900 blue-collar workers and about 180 deputy city attorneys. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2026

Crews are out of work, but so are white-collar executives and those who work in ancillary businesses. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 16 June 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