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Definitions

blue-collar

[bloo-kol-er] / ˈbluˈkɒl ər /
ADJECTIVE
of manual workers
Synonyms
STRONGEST
proletarian
WEAK
factory-working lower-class middle-class proletariat wage-earning working class
Antonyms
WEAK
white-collar
NOUN
manual or technical laborer
Synonyms
STRONGEST
apprentice blue-collar worker
STRONG
employee hired hand jobholder laborer worker
WEAK
breadwinner wage earner working stiff

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.

Maryland is not the only state taking this approach: Michigan is making a similar environmental argument in a lawsuit over an ICE warehouse planned for the small blue-collar city of Romulus.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

“Both white-collar and blue-collar job growth is stagnant.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Despite strong demand for certain trades, “Many blue-collar sectors are currently seeing higher unemployment rates than white-collar sectors,” she added.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Demand for training in blue-collar fields is booming as skepticism over the value of a college degree grows.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Here I comfort myself with the Aleve commercial where the cute blue-collar guy asks: If you quit after working four hours, what would your boss say?

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich