white-collar

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

ADJECTIVE

non-manual

Synonyms

STRONGEST

clerical salaried

WEAK

executive office professional

NOUN

office worker

Synonyms

STRONG

administrator clerk employee executive jobholder manager supervisor worker

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even amid cataclysmic energy shocks and relentless spates of white-collar layoffs, the American economic engine appears to be humming along smoothly.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

The kind of job insecurity that once seemed the province of hourly, blue-collar jobs haunts white-collar professions these days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Five percent losing jobs in 18 months without other white-collar jobs to go to.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Few are tracking Chinese consumer data as a leading indicator for U.S. white-collar disruption.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

It might seem ludicrous to address as large and intractable a problem as white-collar crime through the life of a bagel man.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt