dues-paying

American  

[dooz-pey-ing, dyooz-] / ˈduzˌpeɪ ɪŋ, ˈdjuz- /

adjective

1. gaining experience, especially by hard and often unpleasant or uncongenial work.

   He spent his dues-paying years as a cocktail pianist.

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noun

1. the act or process of gaining experience, especially slowly and laboriously.

   She had many years of dues-paying before her abilities were recognized.

Etymology

Origin of dues-paying

First recorded in 1860–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dues-paying

Meanwhile, the number of voters who officially affiliate as dues-paying members of the DSA is also on the upswing, nearly doubling since Mamdani began his viral mayoral campaign in 2025.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

That law required unions to demonstrate their dues-paying members amounted to at least 60% of employees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

Finch already had several friends who were making money on YouTube, and following in their footsteps seemed like a way to circumvent several years of early-career dues-paying.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2023

Today the group has about 3,000 dues-paying members.

From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2023

She energized the organization and helped to increase the membership from twenty-seven thousand to an astonishing two hundred thousand dues-paying members by 1890.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling