wage

American  

[weyj] / weɪdʒ /

noun

1. Often wages. money that is paid or received for work or services, as by the hour, day, or week.

   Synonyms:

   remuneration, compensation, emolument, earnings

2. Economics. Usually wages. the share of the products of industry received by labor for its work (as distinct from the share going to capital).

3. (used with a singular or plural verb) Usually wages. recompense or return.

   The wages of sin is death.

4. Obsolete. a pledge or security.

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verb (used with object)

waged, waging

1. to carry on (a battle, war, conflict, argument, etc.).

   to wage war against a nation.

   Synonyms:

   prosecute, undertake

2. Chiefly British Dialect. to hire.

3. Obsolete.

   1. to stake or wager.

   2. to pledge.

verb (used without object)

waged, waging

1. Obsolete. to contend; struggle.

wage British  

/ weɪdʒ /

noun

1. 1. (often plural) payment in return for work or services, esp that made to workmen on a daily, hourly, weekly, or piece-work basis Compare salary

   2. ( as modifier )

      wage freeze

2. (plural) economics the portion of the national income accruing to labour as earned income, as contrasted with the unearned income accruing to capital in the form of rent, interest, and dividends

3. (often plural) recompense, return, or yield

4. an obsolete word for pledge

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verb

1. to engage in

2. obsolete to pledge or wager

3. archaic another word for hire hire

Related Words

See pay ¹.

Other Word Forms

• underwage noun
• wageless adjective
• wagelessness noun

Etymology

Origin of wage

First recorded in 1275–1325; (noun) Middle English: “pledge, security,” from Anglo-French; Old French guage gage ¹, from unattested Vulgar Latin wadium, from Germanic ( wed ); (verb) Middle English wagen “to pledge,” from Anglo-French wagier; Old French guagier, from unattested Vulgar Latin wadiāre, derivative of wadium

Example Sentences

You’ve got a relatively young City Council that has been pushing some very progressive goals, not just on housing, but also on minimum wage and other issues.

From Los Angeles Times

In recent years, states including Wisconsin, Michigan and Kentucky have waged similar battles over separation of powers.

From Salon

In recent months, while overall wage growth has slowed, sectors like utilities and food processing have experienced wage gains.

From Barron's

Valued at something like the average hourly wage and added to typical holiday spending, the implied resource cost of Christmas gift-giving, by my estimate, is roughly $1,500 to $2,300 per shopper.

From The Wall Street Journal

Department of Education will begin garnishing wages from approximately 1,000 defaulted student loan borrowers early next year.

From Barron's