What does "White-collar" mean?

Office work; professional class Professional, office-based work as opposed to manual labor (blue-collar).

How do you use "White-collar" in a sentence?

White-collar workers. White-collar crime. White-collar job. White-collar profession.

White-collar

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: Office work; professional class

办公室工作；专业人士阶层

Trabajo de oficina; clase profesional

オフィスワーク、専門職階級

사무직, 전문직 계층

Professional, office-based work as opposed to manual labor (blue-collar).

与体力劳动（蓝领）相对的，在办公室从事的专业工作。

Trabajo profesional de oficina, en contraposición al trabajo manual (cuello azul).

肉体労働（ブルーカラー）とは対照的な、オフィスベースの専門的な仕事。

육체노동(블루칼라)과 대비되는 사무실 기반의 전문직 업무를 뜻한다.

Examples

White-collar workers.
白领
Trabajadores de cuello blanco
ホワイトカラー労働者
화이트칼라 노동자.
White-collar crime.
白领犯罪
Delito de cuello blanco
ホワイトカラー犯罪
화이트칼라 범죄.
White-collar job.
白领工作
Trabajo de oficina
デスクワーク
사무직.
White-collar profession.
专业职业
Profesión de oficina
専門職
전문직.

Pronunciation

/waɪt ˈkɒlər/

Usage Guide

Context: class, employment, crime

Tone: neutral, descriptive

✓ Do Say

White-collar.
白领
Cuello blanco
ホワイトカラー
화이트칼라 노동자
White-collar work.
办公室工作
Trabajo de oficina
オフィスワーク
화이트칼라 범죄
White-collar crime.
白领犯罪
Delito de guante blanco
知能犯罪
화이트칼라 범죄

✗ Don't Say

Neutral descriptor
中性描述词
Descriptor neutro
中立的な表現
해당 없음, 중립적인 용어
Contrasts with blue-collar
与蓝领相对
Contrasta con cuello azul
ブルーカラーと対比される
해당 없음, 중립적인 용어

Common Mistakes

White-collar crime = non-violent financial crime
Universal term

Origin & History

From white dress shirts worn by office workers.

Etymology: From white office shirts

First recorded: American term from 1920s

Cultural Context

Era: 1920s onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Describes professional class

Pop culture: White-collar crime (Enron, etc.); Office culture

Regional notes: American origin, now universal.

Variations

White-collarWhite collar workerWhite-collar crime