living-wage
Definition
- Noun:
- A wage sufficient to maintain a basic standard of living: A "living wage" is a level of income that provides enough money to cover essential needs such as food, housing, healthcare, and other necessities for a worker and their family, without requiring government assistance.
Usage Examples
- (A wage that allows for a decent quality of life.)
- (A wage that covers basic expenses.)
- (A wage sufficient to survive without hardship.)
Advanced Usage
"to advocate for a living wage": to support the idea that employers should pay enough to meet basic needs.
- The union has been advocating for a living wage for all its members. (Campaigning for fair compensation.)
"living wage vs. minimum wage": A living wage is typically higher than the legal minimum wage, as it is calculated based on actual cost of living, not just a legal floor.
- The minimum wage in this state is $7.25 per hour, but a living wage is estimated at $15.00 per hour. (A comparison showing the gap between legal and adequate pay.)
Variants and Related Words
Living (adj): used to describe something that sustains life or is adequate for survival.
- A living wage is essential for a living standard. (The word "living" here means "sufficient for life.")
Wage (n): a fixed regular payment for work, typically paid on an hourly or daily basis.
- He earns a good wage as a mechanic. (A regular payment for labour.)
Synonyms
- Subsistence wage: a wage that barely covers basic necessities.
- Fair wage: a wage considered reasonable and equitable.
- Decent wage: a wage that provides a comfortable standard of living.
Related Idioms
"to make ends meet": to earn enough money to cover basic expenses.
- With a living wage, she could finally make ends meet without stress. (To manage financially.)
"to live from hand to mouth": to survive with only enough for immediate needs, without savings.
- Before the living wage policy, many workers lived from hand to mouth. (To barely survive financially.)