blue-collar

American  

[bloo-kol-er] / ˈbluˈkɒl ər /

adjective

1. of or relating to wage-earning workers who wear work clothes or other specialized clothing on the job, as mechanics, longshoremen, and miners.

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noun

1. a blue-collar worker.

blue-collar British  

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating manual industrial workers Compare white-collar pink-collar

   a blue-collar union

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blue-collar Cultural  

1. A descriptive term widely used for manual laborers, as opposed to white-collar for office workers.

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Discover More

The term is often associated with conservative values.

Etymology

Origin of blue-collar

First recorded in 1945–50

Compare meaning

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

• blue-collar vs. white-collar

Example Sentences

One day I went with a friend to a tap room not far from Bremerton, the blue-collar town across the water from Seattle where I live.

From The Wall Street Journal

The aesthetic’s moment has grown beyond its blue-collar roots.

From The Wall Street Journal

Based in Salinas, Calif., a blue-collar city outside of Monterey, the floors of Pacific Valley are frequently covered in dirt that farmers track in, dressed in Wrangler jeans and work boots.

From The Wall Street Journal

The author also describes the formative decades when Mr. Sanders—born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to unhappy blue-collar Jewish parents—scrapped his way through high school and college before moving to rural Vermont in 1968.

From The Wall Street Journal

White-collar workers shouldn’t dismiss a blue-collar career change.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• apprentice
• blue-collar worker