B1nounUK spelling: labourworkbusiness
US/ˈleɪ.bər/
UK/ˈleɪ.bə/
hard physical or mental work, or the workers who do it
In context
The factory uses cheap labor from nearby villages.
Years of hard labor left his hands rough and tired.
The union fights for better pay and safer labor conditions.
Words that go with labor
adjective + noun
- manual laborHe earns a living by manual labor.
- cheap laborMany companies move abroad to find cheap labor.
- forced laborThe report describes forced labor on farms.
noun + noun
- child laborChild labor is illegal in most countries.
- labor marketThe labor market is strong this year.
- labor shortageHotels face a labor shortage in summer.
noun + preposition
- division of laborThe division of labor at home was fair.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:
a laborCorrect: labor