white-collar

American  

[hwahyt-kol-er, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˈkɒl ər, ˈwaɪt- /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the ranks of office and professional workers whose jobs generally do not involve manual labor or the wearing of a uniform or work clothes.

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noun

1. a white-collar worker.

white-collar British  

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating nonmanual and usually salaried workers employed in professional and clerical occupations Compare blue-collar pink-collar

   white-collar union

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white-collar Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for office workers, who use a minimum of physical exertion, as opposed to blue-collar laborers. Managerial, clerical, and sales jobs are common white-collar occupations.

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Etymology

Origin of white-collar

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does white-collar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• blue-collar vs. white-collar

Example Sentences

White-collar workers are hanging onto their jobs for dear life, spooked by high-profile layoff announcements, the rise of AI and an unforgiving job market for the unemployed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Natalie Sherborn, head of White-collar Defence and Investigations at law firm Withers, said that dating apps had been "found wanting" in their response to crimes being carried out via their platforms.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

White-collar jobs in other industries are also being threatened by technological change, greater investment in AI and retrenchments after pandemic-era hiring sprees.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2025

White-collar executives pressed the brakes—not just on carefree spending, but on normal avenues of growth, like routine hiring and training for new roles.

From Slate • May 20, 2025

According to the FBI and the National White-collar Crime Center, Russian former secret agents have teamed with computer hackers to break into corporate networks to steal vital information about product development and marketing strategies.

From Russian Roulette: Russia's Economy in Putin's Era by Vaknin, Samuel

Related Words

• clerical
• salaried