real wages

American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

plural noun

Economics.

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

---

real wages British  

plural noun

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

---

real wages Cultural  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of real wages

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

real wages

Italy's economy is forecast to grow a lacklustre 0.6 percent in 2026, while real wages have been virtually stagnant since the early 1990s.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

However the figures are also likely to reflect the fact that real wages across the Northern Ireland private sector were rising in 2024.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

In June, real wages swung back to positive territory with an 0.8% increase from May.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

As paychecks lagged, real wages fell—down 3.6% over the year ending in June 2022—and the federal minimum wage reached its lowest real value since 1956.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

General high prices would not change general real wages.

From Principles Of Political Economy Abridged with Critical, Bibliographical, and Explanatory Notes, and a Sketch of the History of Political Economy by John Stuart Mill

Related Words

• net income