wage
B1Neutral (common in business, legal, and everyday contexts)
Definition
Meaning
A regular payment, typically on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis, made by an employer to an employee, especially for manual or unskilled work.
As a verb, it means to engage in or carry on (a war or campaign). Also used historically to refer to a pledge or security, though this is now archaic.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, 'wage' typically implies payment for labour, often calculated by the hour or week and paid frequently. It often contrasts with 'salary', which implies a fixed annual sum paid monthly for professional work.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use 'wage' similarly. British English more commonly uses 'wages' in plural form (e.g., 'My wages are paid weekly'), while American English can use 'wage' as a singular collective noun (e.g., 'an hourly wage').
Connotations
Often implies blue-collar, hourly-paid, or manual labour. In both varieties, 'wage earner' is a common phrase.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English according to some corpora, but a high-frequency word in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
VERB + wage: earn, pay, raise, cut, negotiateADJECTIVE + wage: hourly, minimum, high, low, decentwage + NOUN: wage earner, wage slave, wage claim, wage labourVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Wage war (on/against)”
- “A wage slave”
- “Wage packet”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Discussions of labour costs, payroll, and compensation strategies.
Academic
Used in economics, sociology, and labour studies (e.g., 'wage differentials', 'wage-price spiral').
Everyday
Discussing one's job pay, comparing incomes, or talking about job offers.
Technical
In legal contexts (e.g., 'wage garnishment'), accounting ('wage accruals'), and HR.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council vowed to wage a relentless war on litter.
- For years, the rebels have waged a guerrilla campaign in the mountains.
American English
- The administration pledged to wage a tough fight against inflation.
- They decided to wage an aggressive legal battle.
adjective
British English
- Wage negotiations have stalled.
- The union submitted a new wage claim.
American English
- Wage growth has been stagnant.
- The new wage policy takes effect next quarter.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He gets a good wage for his job.
- Is the minimum wage enough to live on?
- She negotiated a higher hourly wage with her new employer.
- The factory workers are demanding a wage increase.
- Despite rising inflation, wage growth across the sector has remained flat.
- The government was accused of waging a propaganda war against its critics.
- The study analysed the persistent gender wage gap within the tech industry.
- The two superpowers waged a costly proxy war for influence in the region.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'WAGE' as 'Work And Get Earnings'.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A LIQUID ('wage flow', 'trickle-down wages'), WAR ('wage a campaign').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly from Russian 'зарплата' (zarplata) which covers both 'wage' and 'salary'. Distinguish based on payment structure.
- In Russian, 'вести войну' (vesti voynu) is a direct equivalent for 'to wage war'.
- Don't confuse the noun 'wage' with the verb 'to wage' (вести) which has a completely different meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'wage' for professional annual salaries (use 'salary').
- Misspelling as 'waige'.
- Using 'wage' as a plural verb (e.g., 'He wages' is correct, not 'He wage').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the most typical use of the noun 'wage'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'wage' is typically payment for labour calculated by the hour/day/week and paid frequently, often for manual or unskilled work. A 'salary' is a fixed regular payment, often annual, paid monthly for professional or white-collar employment.
It can be both. In British English, it is more commonly used as a plural noun ('His wages are low'). In American English, it is frequently used as a singular noun ('an hourly wage'). The plural form 'wages' is used in both varieties for the metaphorical phrase 'the wages of sin'.
Yes, but with a completely different meaning: to engage in or carry on (a war, campaign, or struggle). Example: 'To wage war against poverty.'
A 'living wage' is a wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living, covering basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. It is often higher than the government-mandated 'minimum wage'.