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

Plus, the potential benefits of a blue-collar career change and why MBAs from top schools are struggling to get hired.

From The Wall Street Journal

My entire career, I felt like a blue-collar working-class actor trying to be in the best movies and do the best work I possibly can.

From Los Angeles Times

Referring to the K-shaped economy, the Evercore authors also opine that blue-collar workers would be less affected because robots will not be able to fully replicate manual activities.

From MarketWatch

And, just as blue-collar workers’ wages suffered as a result, so will that of white-collar workers displaced by AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Learn a Trade” isn’t just a rallying cry for younger generations to skip college and pursue in-demand blue-collar work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• apprentice
• blue-collar worker