living wage

noun

1. a wage on which it is possible for a wage earner or an individual and their family to live at least according to minimum customary standards.

living wage

noun

1. a wage adequate to permit a wage earner to live and support a family in reasonable comfort

Word History and Origins

Origin of living wage¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Rachel Reeves said the pay boost marked a "significant step" towards achieving Labour’s promise of a "genuine living wage" for workers.

From BBC

More than half of Londoners who do not earn a "real living wage" have had to resort to using a food bank in the last year, according to new research.

From BBC

The living wage ordinance was first proposed last year by L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

The bill would offer "a genuine living wage and sick pay for the lowest earners" and ban "exploitative zero hour contracts and unpaid internships", she said.

From BBC

By the time she arrived in 2015, there was already growing concern about garment factories paying well below the living wage.

From BBC

Related Words

• minimum wage