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Synonyms

minimum wage

1 American  

noun

  1. the lowest wage payable to employees in general or to designated employees as fixed by law or by union agreement.

minimum-wage 2 American  
[min-uh-muhm-weyj] / ˈmɪn ə məmˈweɪdʒ /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a minimum wage.

    minimum-wage demands.

  2. paid or earning a minimum wage.

    a minimum-wage worker.

  3. paying a minimum wage.

    a minimum-wage job.
minimum wage British  

noun

  1. the lowest wage that an employer is permitted to pay by law or union contract

"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
minimum wage Cultural  

  1. The lowest legal hourly wage.

Etymology

Origin of minimum wage

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

The Low Pay Commission, the government agency which recommended the increases, said previous minimum wage rises for over-21s had "not had a significant negative impact on jobs".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

She's cut her staff from 18 down to 13 and says she is working 60-70 hours per week, paying herself less than minimum wage.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

A government website shows fund income of $300 million and the same amount earmarked for a minimum wage increase, without providing any further details.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

The monthly minimum wage currently equates to around 28 US cents, while annual price hikes surpass 600 percent.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

With wages included, this amounts to about the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.