sliding scale

noun

1
: a wage scale geared to the selling price of the product or to the consumer price index but usually guaranteeing a minimum below which the wage will not fall
2
a
: a system for raising or lowering tariffs in accord with price changes
b
: a flexible scale (as of fees or subsidies) adjusted to the needs or income of individuals
the sliding scale of medical fees

Examples of sliding scale 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.
Payouts run on a sliding scale, as little as 3% on cheap items and up to 80% on pieces over roughly $200. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026 Many of these health outcomes exist on a sliding scale where the risk increases as the age of puberty onset decreases. — Ashleigh N. Deluca, STAT, 4 June 2026 Federal law sets a sliding scale for how much money states must pay toward SNAP benefits. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 25 June 2026 Suits appear throughout the movie and the silhouettes signify the varying personalities at play — as well as a sliding scale of status — across the cast. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sliding scale

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sliding scale was in 1842

Rhymes for sliding scale

See All Rhymes for sliding scale

Browse Nearby Words

sliding rule
sliding scale
sliding seat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sliding scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sliding%20scale. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All