nominal wages

plural noun

: wages measured in money as distinct from actual purchasing power

Examples of nominal wages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This means that even though Americans’ nominal wages have increased, their real wages have declined as their dollars buy less. Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024 Japan’s public debt is already 264% of GDP—the highest in the world, and nominal wages (not adjusted for inflation) rose by just 4% from 1990 to 2019, compared with 145% in the U.S. Time, 13 Nov. 2023 Rising prices and nominal wages pushed voters into higher tax brackets, draining their discretionary income. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 10 June 2023 For example, in December 2022 median nominal wages grew by 6.1% while the CPI was up 6.4%. Phillip Braun, Forbes, 3 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for nominal wages 

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nominal wages was in 1814

Dictionary Entries Near nominal wages

Cite this Entry

“Nominal wages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominal%20wages. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on nominal wages

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!