forced labor
noun
1
: very hard physical work that someone is forced to do
The prisoners endured years of forced labor.
2
: a group of people who are made to work very hard for no money
also
: a system that allows this
The railroad was built with/by forced labor.
Examples of forced labor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the first half of 2025, WhatsApp removed more than 6.8 million accounts tied to global scam networks, many of them run by criminal groups and even forced labor camps in Southeast Asia.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
These exchanges took place under the shadow of colonialism and forced labor, but their legacies endure in language, in taste and even in the roofs over people’s heads.
—Stephen Acabado, The Conversation, 21 July 2025
Throughout the Holocaust, the Nazis concentrated European Jews in urban ghettos, which were marked by horrific living conditions, forced labor and the threat of execution.
—Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 30 June 2025
The use of Uyghur forced labor in the supply chain is not a new allegation.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forced labor
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
These exchanges took place under the shadow of colonialism and forced labor, but their legacies endure in language, in taste and even in the roofs over people’s heads.
—Stephen Acabado, The Conversation, 21 July 2025
Throughout the Holocaust, the Nazis concentrated European Jews in urban ghettos, which were marked by horrific living conditions, forced labor and the threat of execution.
—Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 30 June 2025
The use of Uyghur forced labor in the supply chain is not a new allegation.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forced labor
Cite this Entry
“Forced labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forced%20labor. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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