sliding scale: Meaning and Definition of

slid'ing scale'

1. a variable scale, esp. of industrial costs, as wages, that may be adapted to changes in demand.
2. a wage scale varying with the selling price of goods produced, the cost of living, or profits.
3. a price scale, as of medical fees, in which prices vary according to the ability of individuals to pay.
4. a tariff scale varying according to changing prices.