laborer

noun

la·​bor·​er ˈlā-bər-ər How to pronounce laborer (audio)
Synonyms of laborernext
: one that labors
specifically : a person who does unskilled physical work for wages

Synonyms of laborer

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Examples of laborer in a Sentence

He has been working as a laborer on a construction project. they could only find work as laborers unloading cargo ships
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.
Both are built by laborers, but opposing a pipeline amounts to stopping the creation of a few thousand jobs. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 31 July 2026 Church leaders were deeply troubled by a new, unrestrained form of capitalism that left laborers with few options other than working on mechanized assembly lines, under harsh terms set by corporate managers. — Walter Scheirer, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 Chinese laborer contributions Laying the rails required grueling and arduous manual work, and much of it was done by Chinese laborers. — Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 Part of the promise of pro-worker AI is to create new tasks, which in many cases will demand that laborers learn new skills. — Daron Acemoglu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for laborer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of laborer was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing laborer

Browse Nearby Words

labored
laborer
labor exchange
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Cite this Entry

“Laborer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laborer. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

laborer

noun
la·​bor·​er ˈlā-bər-ər How to pronounce laborer (audio)
: one that works
especially : a person who does unskilled physical work for wages

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Nglish: Translation of laborer for Spanish Speakers

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