Standard Lemma guide

white-collar

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌwaɪt ˈkɑlər/
  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to office work and workers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: black-coated

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

of or designating salaried professional or clerical work or workers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the coal miner's son aspired to a white-collar occupation as a bookkeeper

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: blue-collar

History

Etymology

From the color of dress shirts worn by professional and clerical workers, as opposed to the rugged denim and chambray shirts normally worn by manual workers.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: de guant blanc — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Catalan: de coll blanc — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Chinese Mandarin: 白領 /白领 (báilǐng) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Dutch: witteboorden- — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Finnish: valkokaulus- — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • French: col blanc — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Georgian: საოფისე (saopise) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Georgian: საკანცელარიო (saḳancelario) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Georgian: თეთრსაყელოიანი (tetrsaq̇eloiani) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Hindi: सफ़ेदपोश (safedpoś) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Indonesian: kerah putih — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Japanese: ホワイトカラー (howaito karā) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Korean: 화이트칼라 (hwaiteukalla) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Macedonian: канцела́риски (kanceláriski) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Malay: kolar putih — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Polish: pracujący w biurze — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Portuguese: de/do colarinho branco — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Russian: канцеля́рский (kanceljárskij) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Russian: конто́рский (kontórskij) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Russian: о́фисный (ófisnyj) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Russian: «чи́стый» — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Russian: «бе́лый воротничо́к» — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Uyghur: ئاق ياقىلىق (aq yaqiliq) — of or pertaining to office work and workers
  • Welsh: coler wen — of or pertaining to office work and workers