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

Explanation

A blue-collar job involves doing physical labor, working with your hands and body to do paid work. Examples of blue-collar workers include mechanics, construction workers, and electricians. Blue-collar jobs involve manual labor and skilled trades. Factory workers, custodians, plumbers, and landscapers are considered blue-collar workers. Blue-collar jobs are often contrasted with white-collar jobs, which are typically done in offices, sitting at desks. The term blue-collar first appeared in the 1920s, referencing the durable, blue work-shirts and denims that many laborers traditionally wore. Blue-collar workers are essential to building and keeping infrastructure and industries running smoothly.

Example Sentences

In January, he published a profile of a 23-year-old electrician who skipped college to be a part of “Gen Z’s blue-collar revolution.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Some are pivoting to blue-collar work or starting their own businesses that may insulate them from the impacts of AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The lunchtime crowd — high schoolers, blue-collar types, the elderly — waited patiently for their orders.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

“Once we tackle our ability to replace the human hand, and robots can be safely deployed in the same physical space that we do, that will be a game changer for blue-collar work as well.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

He had come to Odessa from Dallas twenty-seven years before, so he had been in the town long enough to know exactly what it was like, tight-clenched, blue-collar, conservative.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• apprentice
• blue-collar worker