Meaning & use
NMW
Last updated
Meaning
abbreviationsingularBritishbusinessfinance
The legal lowest hourly rate that most employers in the UK must pay their workers.
Grammar: Used as a singular noun phrase; say the letters N-M-W separately.
Patterns
- be paid the NMW
- be on the NMW
- below the NMW
The government raised the NMW in April.
Many care workers are still paid just above the NMW.
The company was fined for paying staff below the NMW.
Common combinations
- the national minimum wage
- The national minimum wage applies to most workers over school-leaving age.
- be paid the NMW
- New staff are paid the NMW for the first three months.
- below the NMW
- Paying anyone below the NMW is against the law.
- the NMW rate
- The NMW rate changes almost every year.
Synonyms and how they differ
- minimum wage
- The general term used in most countries; NMW is the UK abbreviation for the national minimum wage.
- living wage
- A higher voluntary rate based on the real cost of living, not the legal minimum.
Word family
- minimum wage noun
- the lowest pay allowed by law
Commonly confused: NMW or minimum wage?
NMW vs minimum wage
This is the full phrase used in most English-speaking countries; NMW is a UK-specific abbreviation.
Practice
In the UK, what does NMW refer to?
Choose one answer.
NMW stands for national minimum wage, the legal floor for hourly pay in the UK. The other options describe unrelated workplace or tax matters.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “NMW”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.