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
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All my grandparents were sharecroppers in Mississippi before migrating to Gary in the late 1920s. Lori Latham, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman. Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026 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 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

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Cite this Entry

“Sharecropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharecropper. Accessed 22 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

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