wage
noun
\ ˈwāj
\
\
Definition of wage
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: 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
b
wages plural
: the share of the national product attributable to labor as a factor in production
2
: recompense, reward
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction the wages of sin is death — Romans 6:23 (Revised Standard Version)
wage
verb
waged;
waging
Definition of wage (Entry 2 of 2)
: to engage in or carry on
wage war wage a campaign
: to be in process of occurring
the riot waged for several hours — Amer. Guide Series: Md.
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Other Words from wage
Noun
wageless
\ ˈwāj-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for wage
Synonyms: Noun
emolument, hire, packet [British], pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary, stipend
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Examples of wage in a Sentence
Noun
Both of them make decent wages. The table and chairs cost two weeks' wages. The company offers competitive wages and good benefits. The company gave workers a four percent wage increase this year.Verb
They waged a guerrilla war against the government. Local activists are waging a campaign to end homelessness in the region.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The exemptions vary depending on your circumstance, but generally, your home, head of household wages, retirement savings and disability benefits are protected. — Gary Singer, sun-sentinel.com, "Ask a real estate pro: Can a creditor take a house I just inherited?," 5 Sep. 2019 The hourly wage of the median worker — who makes more than half the population, but less than the other half — was $17.41 in 2000. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "Labor Day 2019: A closeup look at the U.S. work force as holiday arrives," 2 Sep. 2019 Reducing this cost or other expenses for working people lessens the need for businesses to rapidly raise wages, something that can be especially challenging for smaller businesses. — Maureen Conway, Quartz, "What kind of future of work will we choose for America’s working families?," 2 Sep. 2019 Reform advocates said the dangerous nature of the position, along with notoriously low wages, have contributed to what's become a widespread, understaffing problem in American prisons. — Tyler Kendall, CBS News, "Why can't prisons staff their facilities? One state might have a solution," 31 Aug. 2019 Between 1979 and 2017, real wages for the top 1 percent shot up 157 percent, but increased just 22 percent for the bottom 90 percent. — David Scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston’s middle class is getting crushed — does anyone care?," 30 Aug. 2019 Precarious employment, low wages, no benefits, and inconsistent availability of work can really wear on gig workers’ mental health. — Elizabeth King, Allure, "The Mental and Physical Toll on Gig Economy Laborers," 29 Aug. 2019 Nationally the unemployment rates for African Americans and Latinos are flirting with record lows. Continued U.S. growth and hiring are pushing up wages, which is helping to propel strong consumer spending. — Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, "Other voices: The years America went to work," 25 Aug. 2019 Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, gave multiple interviews over the weekend boasting of low unemployment rates, growing wages, and consumer confidence. — Catherine Kim, Vox, "Vox Sentences: Dimissioni," 21 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have long had ties to Sudan and have used child soldiers from the country to wage its war in Yemen. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Sudan signs power-sharing deal as its former dictator goes to trial," 19 Aug. 2019 But Trump is president now, and his constantly belligerent rhetoric, used to wage war against the corrupt status quo, has given the left great license to conflate complicated issues. — John Kass, Twin Cities, "John Kass: Weaponizing the dead of El Paso and Dayton," 9 Aug. 2019 The Housing Accountability Act is her way of fighting back, Trauss said To wage that fight, CaRLA raised almost $400,000 last year from donors and grants, Trauss said. — Marisa Kendall, The Mercury News, "‘Sue the suburbs’ group strikes again, attacking another Bay Area city over housing," 4 Aug. 2019 Actors have to wage a constant battle against ageism, but Dunaway’s reported struggles with her lines at some performances are bound to raise the age issue in some circles. — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, "This was no happy homecoming for Faye Dunaway. Instead it was a demolition.," 26 July 2019 And most folks — you, me, the public — don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to wage a legal battle like this one. — al.com, "Public records access is supposed to be free in Alabama. But it cost one business $70,000.," 8 July 2019 Opportunistic and Selective Rarely do the revisionists who wage war on history offer any rational and systematic agenda for their otherwise spontaneous tantrums. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The Cowardly Incoherence of Name-Changing, Statue-Toppling, and other Iconoclasms," 25 June 2019 The almost-certain legal battles the oil companies will wage will prolong uncertainty for farmers, stall economic growth, and divert federal tax dollars from other pressing needs. — Chuck Grassley And, WSJ, "Trump Gives Farmers a Jolt of Fuel," 16 Oct. 2018 Citing irregularities in petition signatures gathered by a company hired to do the job, Democrat Bill Cobbs won't qualify for the August primary ballot and will instead wage an even tougher write-in campaign. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "Democrat Bill Cobbs will run write-in campaign for Michigan governor," 24 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for wage
wage
noun
English Language Learners Definition of wage
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an amount of money that a worker is paid based on the number of hours, days, etc., that are worked
wage
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of wage (Entry 2 of 2)
: to start and continue (a war, battle, etc.) in order to get or achieve something
See the full definition for wage in the English Language Learners Dictionary
wage
noun
\ ˈwāj
\
\
Kids Definition of wage
(Entry 1 of 2)
: payment for work do