Wage — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈwāj/

Meaning & Definition of Wage

Wage (noun)

  1. a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis —often used in plural
  2. the share of the national product attributable to labor as a factor in production
  3. recompense, reward —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

Wage (verb)

  1. to engage in or carry on
  2. to be in process of occurring

Wage (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the money paid regularly to a person for labor or services

    "the wage you earn is more than enough to support us comfortably"

    similar: emolument, hire, packet (British), pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary, stipend
    related: living wage, minimum wage, nominal wages, take-home pay, double time, overtime, time and a half, compensation, recompense, remittance, remuneration, requital, return, recoupment, redress, reparation, restitution, reimbursement, repayment, earnings, profit, takings, yield

Related Entry: Wage earner (noun)

Wage earner is a different word from Wage. The synonyms below are for wage earner, not for wage.

  1. as in wage slave, wageworker

    similar: nine-to-fiver, wage slave, wageworker, workingman, workingwoman, workman, workwoman, drudge, gandy dancer, grub, hack, jobber, laborer, navvy (chiefly British), toiler, associate, colleague, coworker, assistant, cog, flunky, subordinate, underling, yes-man, temp, temporary, employee, hand, hireling, jobholder, retainer, worker
    opposite: employer, gaffer (British), boss, superior, supervisor

Related Entry: Wage earners (noun)

Wage earners is a different word from Wage. The synonyms below are for wage earners, not for wage.

  1. as in wage slaves, wageworkers

    similar: nine-to-fivers, wage slaves, wageworkers, workingmen, workingwomen, workmen, workwomen, drudges, gandy dancers, grubs, hacks, jobbers, laborers, navvies (chiefly British), toilers, associates, colleagues, coworkers, assistants, cogs, flunkies, subordinates, underlings, yes-men, temporaries, temps, employees, hands, hirelings, jobholders, retainers, workers
    opposite: employers, gaffers (British), bosses, superiors, supervisors

Related Entry: Wage slave (noun)

Wage slave is a different word from Wage. The synonyms below are for wage slave, not for wage.

  1. as in wage earner, wageworker

    similar: nine-to-fiver, wage earner, wageworker, workingman, workingwoman, workman, workwoman, drudge, gandy dancer, grub, hack, jobber, laborer, navvy (chiefly British), toiler, associate, colleague, coworker, assistant, cog, flunky, subordinate, underling, yes-man, temp, temporary, employee, hand, hireling, jobholder, retainer, worker
    opposite: employer, gaffer (British), boss, superior, supervisor

Related Entry: Wage slaves (noun)

Wage slaves is a different word from Wage. The synonyms below are for wage slaves, not for wage.

  1. as in wage earners, wageworkers

    similar: nine-to-fivers, wage earners, wageworkers, workingmen, workingwomen, workmen, workwomen, drudges, gandy dancers, grubs, hacks, jobbers, laborers, navvies (chiefly British), toilers, associates, colleagues, coworkers, assistants, cogs, flunkies, subordinates, underlings, yes-men, temporaries, temps, employees, hands, hirelings, jobholders, retainers, workers
    opposite: employers, gaffers (British), bosses, superiors, supervisors

Related Entry: Minimum wage (noun)

Minimum wage is a different word from Wage. The synonyms below are for minimum wage, not for wage.

  1. an amount of money that is the least amount of money per hour that workers must be paid according to the law

    "Congress will vote on a bill to raise the minimum wage."

    similar: living wage, nominal wages, take-home pay, emolument, hire, packet (British), pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary, stipend, wage, double time, overtime, time and a half, compensation, recompense, remittance, remuneration, requital, return, recoupment, redress, reparation, restitution, reimbursement, repayment, earnings, profit, takings, yield

Related Entry: Living wage (noun)

Living wage is a different word from Wage. The synonyms below are for living wage, not for wage.

  1. as in minimum wage, nominal wages

    similar: minimum wage, nominal wages, take-home pay, emolument, hire, packet (British), pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary, stipend, wage, double time, overtime, time and a half, compensation, recompense, remittance, remuneration, requital, return, recoupment, redress, reparation, restitution, reimbursement, repayment, earnings, profit, takings, yield

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Wage

The most common words with a similar meaning to Wage:

British: packet
emolument, hire, pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary, stipend

Related Words for Wage

living wage, minimum wage, nominal wages, take-home pay, double time, overtime, time and a half, compensation, recompense, remittance, remuneration, requital, return, recoupment, redress, reparation, restitution, reimbursement, repayment, earnings, profit, takings, yield

Word Forms of Wage

Inflections: waged, waging

Derived words: wageless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Wage

Middle English, pledge, recompense, from Anglo-French wage, gage, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wetti pledge wed

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Wage

Words & Phrases Containing Wage

wage earner, wage scale, wage slave, wage slavery, living wage, minimum wage, fair wage, honest wage

Frequently Asked Questions about Wage

What does "Wage" mean?

"Wage" means a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis —often used in plural. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis —often used in plural.

What is another word for "Wage"?

Other words for "Wage" include emolument, hire, packet, pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment and salary. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Wage" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Wage"?

There are 32 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Wage". Common alternatives include emolument, hire, packet, pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary and stipend.

How do you use "Wage" in a sentence?

Examples of "Wage" in a sentence: "the wage you earn is more than enough to support us comfortably".

Is "Wage" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Wage" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Wage" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Wage" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Wage"?

"Wage" is pronounced /ˈwāj/.

What is the origin of the word "Wage"?

"Wage" comes from Middle English, pledge, recompense, from Anglo-French wage, gage, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wetti pledge wed. First known use: 14th century.