salaryman

[ sal-uh-ree-man ]

noun

, plural sal·a·ry·men.

1. (in Japan) a white-collar businessman.

salaryman

/ ˈsælərɪˌmæn /

noun

1. (in Japan) an office worker

Word History and Origins

Origin of salaryman¹

1960–65; < Japanese < English salary + -man

Example Sentences

She later attracts the attention of a beleaguered young salaryman out of her past.

From New York Times

Ito’s mother was a full-time homemaker, and her father a “salaryman,” but neither has discouraged her from pursuing a career.

From Seattle Times

For Nakamura, the salaryman, the issue highlighted the deepening pain for single-income Japanese households such as his own.

From Reuters

Footage shot in Tokyo is filled with iconic touchstones, from the famous Shibuya intersection where crowds crisscross in perfect choreography, to the rigidly bureaucratic offices of the Japanese “salaryman,” whose hierarchical emphasis on respect for higher-ups is oddly paralleled by the yakuza world.

From Seattle Times

Far from this renowned Silicon Valley model of flexibility, Jin Montesano, Chief People Officer at luxury toilet maker Lixil Group Corp, has managed to bring worker-centred policies to one of Japan’s most emblematic companies, navigating traditional “salaryman” culture.

From Reuters