minimum wage

noun

Synonyms of minimum wagenext
1
2
: the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid
specifically : a wage fixed by legal authority or by contract as the least that may be paid either to employed persons generally or to a particular category of employed persons

Examples of minimum wage in a Sentence

Congress will vote on a bill to raise the minimum wage.
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.
As the minimum wage has increased, the barrier to entry for small, mom-and-pop shops has grown. Paul Lopez, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026 The Illinois Democrat made further headlines when calling for an immediate hike in the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour. Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026 In 2017, the Economic Policy Institute estimated that just one form of wage theft (paying below minimum wage) resulted in minimum wage workers having more than $15 billion stolen from them every year, a number that exceeds the value of all robberies, burglaries, larcenies, and car thefts combined. Emily Galvin Almanza, Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026 Over the last year, labor tensions over minimum wages and working conditions have intensified over the past year, even as global consumption patterns disrupted orders. Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for minimum wage

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of minimum wage was in 1860

Cite this Entry

“Minimum wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimum%20wage. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

minimum wage

noun
: a wage fixed (as by law) as the least that may be paid to employed persons

Legal Definition

minimum wage

noun
: a wage fixed by contract or especially by law as the least that may be paid either to employees generally or to a particular category of employees compare scale

More from Merriam-Webster on minimum wage

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