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.

The report laid out a doom-loop scenario of AI improvements wiping out white-collar employment and driving economic deterioration.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

A.I. use at work has nearly doubled in the past few years, especially in white-collar industries.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

"They look like a couple of club fighters from a white-collar match in a local leisure centre. It was sad for me to watch."

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The kind of job insecurity that once seemed the province of hourly, blue-collar jobs haunts white-collar professions these days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

They were mostly in for white-collar crimes, money schemes, fraud and racketeering.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah