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.

At the start, Barclays focuses on comments from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei External link earlier this year, who said “AI will disrupt 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs over 1—5 years.”

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

I think of AI as doing cognitive work, so this is a revolution coming squarely at white-collar workers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

In fact, the current commission president, white-collar attorney Rasha Gerges Shields, is the only remaining member of the commission that oversaw the months-long chief’s search that ended with McDonnell’s selection.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

About one quarter of white-collar workers are stalling in their careers right before their peak earning years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Back in Soweto, my mom enrolled in the secretarial course that allowed her to grab hold of the bottom rung of the white-collar world.

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