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.

It recently laid off 8,000 white-collar employees in part to fund those efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

In fact, the current commission president, white-collar attorney Rasha Gerges Shields, is the only remaining member of the commission that oversaw the months-long chief’s search that ended with McDonnell’s selection.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

AI will reorganize the white-collar corporate workforce, not destroy it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

In white-collar work, AI-related skills will also help a person’s chances.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 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