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Synonyms

living wage

American  

noun

  • living wages
    plural
  1. a wage on which it is possible for a wage earner or an individual and their family to live at least according to minimum customary standards.


living wage British  

noun

  1. a wage adequate to permit a wage earner to live and support a family in reasonable comfort

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of living wage

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Ahead of these events, the group is asking that employers provide union and living wage jobs, funding for 50,000 units of housing for working families, a moratorium on short-term rentals and protections for immigrant workers.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 20, 2026

Employers, Mr. Vance accordingly thinks, should pay workers a fair or living wage.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 15, 2026

The “gig economy” entered the lingo in 2009, as increasing numbers of people tried to cobble two or more part-time, no-benefit “gigs” into a living wage.

From Barron's May 20, 2026

He highlighted a number of measures coming into force from this month aimed at easing the cost of living, including removing some green levies from energy bills and increasing the national living wage.

From BBC Apr. 1, 2026

Soon the Rad Lab would have to pay its scientists a living wage.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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