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.
The men were sent to prison and the women sentenced to house arrest with hard labor. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 And then there’s the sound of hard labor. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025 All 25 members of the Class of 2026 Ticktockers (student volunteers) were involved in planning the Senior Project from concept and design to materials and the hard labor of execution. News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025 Mboko’s hard labor of love has been spent on accumulating wins on the ITF Tour, clocking up five titles. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Hard labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20labor. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

hard labor

noun
: compulsory labor imposed upon prisoners as part of a sentence or as prison discipline
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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