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Meaning & use

fair wage

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌfeə ˈweɪdʒ/
US/ˌfer ˈweɪdʒ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    Pay that is reasonable and just for the work done, often enough to live on.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a fair wage' or 'fair wages'.

    Patterns

    • a fair wage for something
    • earn a fair wage
    • pay a fair wage

    The workers are demanding a fair wage for the long hours they put in.

    Many people in the city still do not earn a fair wage.

    The company says it pays a fair wage, but some employees disagree.

  2. nounsingularformal

    A standard of pay that people consider morally right, often discussed in politics or business.

    Grammar: Usually singular with 'the': 'the fair wage' as an idea.

    Patterns

    • the idea of a fair wage
    • argue about a fair wage

    The debate over the fair wage has been going on for years.

    She wrote her thesis on the fair wage in developing countries.

Word forms

pluralfair wages

Common combinations

a fair wage for a fair day's work
The slogan 'a fair wage for a fair day's work' was painted on the banner.
demand a fair wage
The union members demanded a fair wage at the meeting.
earn a fair wage
After the training, she was able to earn a fair wage.
pay a fair wage
The new law requires employers to pay a fair wage.
living wage
Some campaigners say a fair wage should be at least a living wage.

Synonyms and how they differ

living wage
A living wage is specifically enough to cover basic living costs; a fair wage is more general and can mean just and reasonable pay.
decent pay
Decent pay is informal and simply means pay that is good enough; fair wage is more formal and often has a moral tone.
just remuneration
Just remuneration is very formal and legal; fair wage is more common in everyday and political talk.

Opposites

unfair wageexploitative pay

Word family

fair adjective
Treating people equally and in a reasonable way.
wage noun
Money paid to someone for work, usually weekly or monthly.
fairness noun
The quality of being fair and just.

Commonly confused: fair wage or fare? fair wage or salary?

fair wage vs fare

Fare is the money you pay for a journey, not for work. A fair wage is about pay for a job.

fair wage vs salary

A salary is a fixed amount paid monthly or yearly, often for professional work; a wage is usually paid hourly or daily.

Practice

The workers went on strike to demand ______.

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