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Synonyms

minimum wage

1 American  

noun

  1. the lowest wage payable to employees in general or to designated employees as fixed by law or by union agreement.

minimum-wage 2 American  
[min-uh-muhm-weyj] / ˈmɪn ə məmˈweɪdʒ /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a minimum wage.

    minimum-wage demands.

  2. paid or earning a minimum wage.

    a minimum-wage worker.

  3. paying a minimum wage.

    a minimum-wage job.
minimum wage British  

noun

  1. the lowest wage that an employer is permitted to pay by law or union contract

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
minimum wage Cultural  

  1. The lowest legal hourly wage.

Etymology

Origin of minimum wage

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But in 2024, the firm faced a backlash after revealing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, instead paying the lower legal minimum wage.

From BBC

Some business leaders, including supermarket bosses, say minimum wage increases mean they cannot hire more staff.

From BBC

Rarely if ever do these minimum wage safaris net lasting structural change at the companies featured on the show.

From Salon

Davis said pay for his employees is generally around double the local minimum wage, which hit $17.34 in Oakland on Jan. 1.

From Los Angeles Times

While Senegal has recently seen a rise in its minimum wage, Micheal Laurent acknowledges that wages are "not a lot", but that "profit margins are very low, and we need to remain competitive".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.