sharecropper

noun

share·​crop·​per ˈsher-ˌkrä-pər How to pronounce sharecropper (audio)
Synonyms of sharecroppernext
: a tenant farmer especially in the southern U.S. who is provided with credit for seed, tools, living quarters, and food, who works the land, and who receives an agreed share of the value of the crop minus charges

Examples of sharecropper 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.
Black sharecroppers and farm workers used music to process segregation, deep poverty and systemic violence. Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026 The second looked at life among migrant workers, sharecroppers and others dwelling in mountain areas. ABC News, 7 June 2026 Meanwhile, her parents lost their jobs; her grandparents, who were sharecroppers, were forced off the land; and the grocery store refused to serve her family. Literary Hub, 21 May 2026 His father, Walter Riley, was one of eleven children of sharecroppers from Durham County, North Carolina, and became an activist at thirteen. Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sharecropper

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sharecropper was in 1871

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharecropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharecropper. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

sharecropper

noun
share·​crop·​per ˈshe(ə)r-ˌkräp-ər How to pronounce sharecropper (audio)
ˈsha(ə)r-
: a farmer who works land for the owner in return for a share of the value of the crop

More from Merriam-Webster on sharecropper

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster