1
a
: a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis
—often used in plural
b
wages plural
: the share of the national product attributable to labor as a factor in production
2
: recompense, reward
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
the wages of sin is death—
Romans 6:23 (Revised Standard Version)
Romans 6:23 (Revised Standard Version)
waged; waging
: to engage in or carry on
wage war
wage a campaign
: to be in process of occurring
the riot waged for several hours—Amer. Guide Series: Md.
Amer. Guide Series: Md.Synonyms
Examples of wage in a Sentence
Noun
Both of them make decent wages.
The table and chairs cost two weeks' wages.
The company offers competitive wages and good benefits.
The company gave workers a four percent wage increase this year.
Verb
They waged a guerrilla war against the government.
Local activists are waging a campaign to end homelessness in the region.
Recent Examples on the WebSammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
My idea, however, is this: Tax people as individuals rather than on their joint income, as many other countries do, and which–thanks to the long-term rise of women’s work and wages–would now benefit about half of Americans.
—Robert Verbruggen, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Think in terms of your sources of income (wages, dividends, interest, capital gains, rental income, taxable withdrawals from retirement accounts, etc.).
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Hundreds of thousands of workers have left the country, and wages have stagnated even as commodities have grown more expensive.
—Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the past four years, wages of nonsupervisory workers, who account for more than 80% of private employment, are up by about 24%, while consumer prices are up less, around 20%.
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
This has meant hardships for many lower-income families, whose wages may not have fully kept up with rising prices.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
Days earlier, the March jobs report showed that employers added 303,000 workers, more than expected, as wage growth stayed strong.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
After construction finished, the development would also have added 1,300 permanent jobs and $52 million in salaries and wages.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The technology, of course, became a flashpoint in the strikes waged by WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
But those comfy corporate media ingrates aren’t real revolutionaries waging an uprising like the intra-party conflicts among their idols Joseph Stalin, Grigory Zinoviev, Vladimir Lenin, and Leon Trotsky during Russia’s October Revolution.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Mar. 2024
Now Barnett’s grieving family is writing the next chapter in the battle waged by the Louisiana maverick who’s arguably the most famous and credible whistleblower to challenge this fabled manufacturer.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
After invading Ukraine two years ago, Russia is waging a full-scale war against its neighbor.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Mar. 2024
Neither Putin nor the FSB publicly presented any proof of a link with Ukraine, with which Russia has been waging war for the past 25 months.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Since the October 7th attacks, Israel has waged a devastating war in the Gaza Strip, which has led to the deaths of more than thirty thousand Palestinians.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
With the Iraq war raging in 2004, Mr. Haidt, a registered Democrat, took his dog on evening walks around Charlottesville and thought about why his party was waging such a tepid campaign against George W. Bush.
—Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
But as of 2022, the median annual wage for a U.S. wind turbine technician working in electric power was $59,890, compared with $46,310 for all occupations nationally.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
My idea, however, is this: Tax people as individuals rather than on their joint income, as many other countries do, and which–thanks to the long-term rise of women’s work and wages–would now benefit about half of Americans.
—Robert Verbruggen, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Think in terms of your sources of income (wages, dividends, interest, capital gains, rental income, taxable withdrawals from retirement accounts, etc.).
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Hundreds of thousands of workers have left the country, and wages have stagnated even as commodities have grown more expensive.
—Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the past four years, wages of nonsupervisory workers, who account for more than 80% of private employment, are up by about 24%, while consumer prices are up less, around 20%.
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
This has meant hardships for many lower-income families, whose wages may not have fully kept up with rising prices.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
Days earlier, the March jobs report showed that employers added 303,000 workers, more than expected, as wage growth stayed strong.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
After construction finished, the development would also have added 1,300 permanent jobs and $52 million in salaries and wages.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
Ukraine’s army of about one million soldiers is fighting the largest war in Europe since World War II, waged in muddy trenches or the ruins of cities in urban combat.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The technology, of course, became a flashpoint in the strikes waged by WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
But those comfy corporate media ingrates aren’t real revolutionaries waging an uprising like the intra-party conflicts among their idols Joseph Stalin, Grigory Zinoviev, Vladimir Lenin, and Leon Trotsky during Russia’s October Revolution.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Mar. 2024
Now Barnett’s grieving family is writing the next chapter in the battle waged by the Louisiana maverick who’s arguably the most famous and credible whistleblower to challenge this fabled manufacturer.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
After invading Ukraine two years ago, Russia is waging a full-scale war against its neighbor.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Mar. 2024
Neither Putin nor the FSB publicly presented any proof of a link with Ukraine, with which Russia has been waging war for the past 25 months.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Since the October 7th attacks, Israel has waged a devastating war in the Gaza Strip, which has led to the deaths of more than thirty thousand Palestinians.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
With the Iraq war raging in 2004, Mr. Haidt, a registered Democrat, took his dog on evening walks around Charlottesville and thought about why his party was waging such a tepid campaign against George W. Bush.
—Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wage
Cite this Entry
“Wage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wage. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wage
1 of 2 verb
waged; waging
1
: to engage in or carry on
wage war
wage a campaign
2
: to be in the process of occurring
the battle waged for several hours
wage
2 of 2 noun1
: a payment for work or services usually calculated on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis
—often used in plural
2
singular or plural
: something given or received because of one's actions : reward
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