hard labor

noun

: compulsory labor of imprisoned criminals as a part of the prison discipline

Examples of hard labor 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.
Years of hard labor and alcohol abuse have taken their toll. Joe Otterson, Variety, 26 May 2026 When the weather allowed, the family would take walks to the Buffalo Fresh halal supermarket, with Faisal keeping a hand on his sad, disabled father, whose life of hard labor had taken its toll. Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026 What Chao was saying about this being a platform about people, not about objects, is really recognizing the hard labor of Africans and then doing our very best to bring that to the fore. Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026 One character, a troubled traveling man named Herald Loomis (Joshua Boone), bears the scars of post-slavery enslavement after being abducted into seven years of hard labor under Joe Turner. Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard labor

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard labor was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20labor. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

hard labor

noun
: compulsory labor imposed upon prisoners as part of a sentence or as prison discipline
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