blue-collar

adjective

blue-col·​lar ˈblü-ˈkä-lər How to pronounce blue-collar (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or constituting the class of wage earners whose duties call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare white-collar
2
: having characteristics associated with blue-collar workers: such as
a
: having, showing, or appealing to unpretentious or unsophisticated tastes
a new blue-collar serial … woven around a minor-league baseball teamSteven Flax
b
: dependable and hard-working rather than showy or spectacular
a blue-collar athlete

Examples of blue-collar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Born into a blue-collar family in northeastern Quebec, Mr. Mulroney transcended his small-town roots to become a prosperous lawyer and business executive before seeking and attaining high office as a conservative, rising to prime minister in 1984. Alan Cowell, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, Trump claims to champion America’s blue-collar workers. Desirée Leclercq, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 And people whose jobs are in outdoor settings bore the brunt of the poor air quality — mostly those in blue-collar industries (like construction) and gig workers (like dog walkers or delivery drivers). Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Over a few years livery stables were replaced by gasoline stations and with Henry Ford’s assembly lines even the hard-working blue-collar family could afford an automobile. Jeff Hewitt, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2024 In the past, as auto assembly line workers or toll booth collectors were eliminated by automation, the focus was on how to retrain blue-collar workers. Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 But can a union leader with no political experience find an agenda that transcends the two political parties and appeals narrowly to blue-collar wallets? Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Six years into his blue-collar gig, dominoes began to fall. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 Douglas had a series of blue-collar jobs in Freehold, New Jersey, and elsewhere, including the former Ford plant in Edison. USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue-collar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue-collar was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near blue-collar

Cite this Entry

“Blue-collar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue-collar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

blue-collar

adjective
ˈblü-ˈkäl-ər
: of or relating to the class of workers whose duties require work clothes
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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