blue-collar
Blue-collar (adjective) means relating to manual, industrial or skilled trade work, or to the people who do it. Example: “The town depends on blue-collar jobs in shipping and haulage.”
How to Use Blue-collar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo do with people who do practical, hands-on jobs.
Neutral and descriptive, and often used with pride; more common in American than British English.
Hyphenate before a noun: a blue-collar job. Many writers drop the hyphen after a verb: the work is blue collar.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The town depends on _____ jobs in shipping and haulage.
Etymology
From the hard-wearing blue shirts and overalls traditionally worn for manual work, which showed dirt less than white shirts.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related Words
Rhymes for blue-collar
See all rhymes for blue-collar →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between blue-collar and white-collar work?
Blue-collar work is manual, technical or industrial, done on sites, in factories or on the road, and is often paid hourly. White-collar work is office-based and administrative or professional, and is usually salaried. The labels come from the clothing each group traditionally wore, not from skill level or income, and many blue-collar trades now out-earn office roles.
Is blue-collar an insult?
No. It is a plain description of the kind of work someone does, and it is frequently used approvingly to mean hard-working and down to earth. It only sounds insulting when a speaker uses it as a stand-in for uneducated.