white-collar

American  

[hwahyt-kol-er, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˈkɒl ər, ˈwaɪt- /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the ranks of office and professional workers whose jobs generally do not involve manual labor or the wearing of a uniform or work clothes.

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noun

1. a white-collar worker.

white-collar British  

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating nonmanual and usually salaried workers employed in professional and clerical occupations Compare blue-collar pink-collar

   white-collar union

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white-collar Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for office workers, who use a minimum of physical exertion, as opposed to blue-collar laborers. Managerial, clerical, and sales jobs are common white-collar occupations.

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Etymology

Origin of white-collar

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does white-collar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• blue-collar vs. white-collar

Example Sentences

While the U.S. added jobs in fields such as healthcare and education in 2025, signs are growing that the white-collar labor market is now seizing up.

From The Wall Street Journal

The rise of single, white-collar female consumers has boosted sales of boutique fitness memberships, wellness treatments, cosmetics, and personal-care products—categories less vulnerable to the weak property market.

From Barron's

Other topics we delve into include the anxiety of white-collar workers, why we love those Christmas songs and great places to see in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal

They surveyed 319 white-collar workers who used AI tools for their jobs at least once per week about how they apply critical thinking when using them.

From BBC

In May, he predicted that AI’s capabilities will increase until close to 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs might be wiped out in five years.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clerical
• salaried