- of, relating to, or designating nonmanual and usually salaried workers employed in professional and clerical occupations: white-collar union
Compare blue-collar
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈwhite-ˌcol•lar,
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Businessof or relating to professional or clerical workers whose jobs do not usually involve manual labor:white-collar workers.
white-col•lar
(hwīt′kol′ər, wīt′-),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
- Businessbelonging or pertaining to the ranks of office and professional workers whose jobs generally do not involve manual labor or the wearing of a uniform or work clothes.
n.
- Businessa white-collar worker. Cf. blue-collar.
- 1920–25
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
white-collar adj
'white-collar' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
band
- blue-collar
- clerical collar
- Eton collar
- harmonization
- suit
- Vandyke collar
- businessman
- businessperson
- businesswoman
- peccary
- pink-collar
- rainbow-collar
- Rugby shirt
- white-collar crime
- salaryman