sliding scale

noun

1. a variable scale, especially of industrial costs, as wages, that may be adapted to changes in demand.

2. a wage scale varying with the selling price of goods produced, the cost of living, or profits.

3. a price scale, as of medical fees, in which prices vary according to the ability of individuals to pay.

4. a tariff scale varying according to changing prices.

sliding scale

noun

1. a variable scale according to which specified wages, tariffs, prices, etc, fluctuate in response to changes in some other factor, standard, or conditions

sliding scale

1. A set of rates that change according to a mathematical formula. The income tax, for example, is levied on a sliding scale, with the rich paying a higher percentage than the poor.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sliding scale¹

First recorded in 1700–10