noun
wage
wayj
noun
1
Money paid to a worker, usually calculated by the hour.
"His hourly wage barely covers the rent."
"The company raised the minimum wage for all staff."
verb
1
To carry out or conduct, especially a war or campaign.
"The two countries waged war for over a decade."
"She waged a long campaign against the new housing development."
How to Use Wage
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPay for work, or, as a verb, to actively carry out something like a war or campaign.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "salary" — a wage is usually hourly or daily pay, while a salary is a fixed annual amount.
Common pairings
minimum wage
wage war
hourly wage
living wage
Word Forms
waged past tense, wages plural, wages singular
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His hourly _____ barely covers the rent.
Etymology
From Old French "gauge/guage", meaning a pledge or payment, ultimately from a Germanic word for "pledge" — the same root that gives us "wager" and "wed".