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

That means big changes in a labor market where retail and white-collar hiring have stalled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

“This cash-pay channel might be more sensitive to economic cycle, especially to middle-class U.S. households, and might be sensitive to AI-led labor-market disruptions in white-collar jobs,” the analysts wrote.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Some CEOs have even warned that AI could eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

That was why I was with a blue-collar agency instead of a white-collar agency.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler