laborer
noun
la·bor·er
ˈlā-bər-ər 
: one that labors
specifically
: a person who does unskilled physical work for wages
Examples of laborer in a Sentence
He has been working as a laborer on a construction project.
they could only find work as laborers unloading cargo ships
Recent Examples on the Web
Around a thousand union laborers were laid off.
—
Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Many employers otherwise perform only superficial efforts at verification of legal status of employees, confident that enforcement agencies will target laborers, not management.
—Federico Peña, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Commoners worked for wages, too, usually as farm laborers.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Capturing the dynamics of laborers, with a reimaging of fan covers as ornate hats, the texture of plastic bags is recreated, incorporating the clashing of neon lights to express both the vitality and desolation of street life.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laborer
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.
Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Many employers otherwise perform only superficial efforts at verification of legal status of employees, confident that enforcement agencies will target laborers, not management.
—Federico Peña, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Commoners worked for wages, too, usually as farm laborers.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Capturing the dynamics of laborers, with a reimaging of fan covers as ornate hats, the texture of plastic bags is recreated, incorporating the clashing of neon lights to express both the vitality and desolation of street life.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laborer
Cite this Entry
“Laborer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laborer. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
laborer
noun
la·bor·er
ˈlā-bər-ər
: one that works
especially
: a person who does unskilled physical work for wages
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
