real wages

[ree-uhl, reel]

plural noun

Economics.

1. wages estimated not in money but in purchasing power.

real wages

plural noun

1. economics wages evaluated with reference to their purchasing power rather than to the money actually paid Compare money wages

real wages

1. Wages adjusted for the prevailing level of consumer prices. (See also constant dollars.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of real wages¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Related Words

• net income