blue-collar

adjective

blue-col·​lar ˈblü-ˈkä-lər 

1

: of, relating to, or constituting the class of wage earners whose duties call for the wearing of work clothes or protective clothing compare white-collar

2

: having characteristics associated with blue-collar workers: such as

a

: having, showing, or appealing to unpretentious or unsophisticated tastes

… a new blue-collar serial … woven around a minor-league baseball team …

—Steven Flax

b

: dependable and hard-working rather than showy or spectacular

a blue-collar athlete

Examples of blue-collar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Second, the jurors who will decide the course of this lawsuit are a fascinating and diverse group, with blue-collar immigrants serving alongside white-colllar retirees. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026

The teeth will flash, first, before the rest of Jonah Coleman’s blue-collar frame strolls into Denver’s facility in the weeks to come. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026

Fatla credits all that success to the city's blue-collar work ethic, forged in its steel mills since the 19th century. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026

Matty is a blustering, blue-collar Bostonian who sees himself as the unequivocal boss of the house and frequently clashes with his liberal niece Blaire, an outspoken college student who often finds herself at odds with her more traditional-minded relatives. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blue-collar

• footballer
• installer
• caller
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar
• smaller

Kids Definition

blue-collar

adjective

ˈblü-ˈkäl-ər

: of or relating to the class of workers whose duties require work clothes