wages

noun

a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing (Freq. 2)

-

the wages of sin is death

-

virtue is its own reward

• Syn: ↑reward, ↑payoff

• Derivationally related forms: ↑reward (for: ↑reward)

• Hypernyms: ↑consequence, ↑aftermath

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present third singular of wage

plural of wage

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wages, etc noun

Income, wages, etc measured in terms of their actual purchasing power

● real

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Salary and wages are both used to refer to the money paid to someone regularly for the work they do.

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◊ 'salary'

Professional people such as teachers are usually paid a salary. Their salary is the amount of money which they are paid each year, although they actually get a certain amount each month.

She earns a high salary as an accountant.

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◊ 'wages'

If someone gets money each week for the work they do, you refer to this money as their wages.

His wages had been reduced to seventy pounds a week.

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◊ 'wage'

You can refer in a general way to the amount that someone earns as a wage.

...the problems of bringing up children on a low wage.

They're campaigning for a legal minimum wage.

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