Definitions

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.

Americans don’t appear to be holding back because of the specter of AI displacing white-collar jobs, American Express CEO Stephen Squeri said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

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

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