workforce

noun

work·​force ˈwərk-ˌfȯrs 

1

: the workers engaged in a specific activity or enterprise

the factory's workforce

2

: the number of workers potentially assignable for any purpose

the nation's workforce

Synonyms of workforce

• staff
• manpower
• personnel
• pool

Examples of workforce in a Sentence

We have a workforce of 2,400 people.

the office's entire workforce is devoted to a single project right now

Recent Examples on the Web

If SpaceX bulls are correct, the early education investments will pay off in the decades ahead for employers and the workforce. — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 27 June 2026

According to a report from trustees, the retirement fund is set to run out by 2032 due to a rising number of retirees and a shrinking workforce. — Emily Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026

Oracle cut roughly 21,000 jobs, about 13 percent of its workforce, and in its own filing attributed the reductions to AI. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Healthcare economists say giving people access to preventive healthcare saves taxpayers money in the long run by keeping the workforce healthy and relieving pressure on an overburdened system. — Christine Mai-Duc, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for workforce

• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce
• indorse
• midcourse
• outsource
• perforce
• racehorse
• remorse
• seahorse
• workhorse

Kids Definition

workforce

noun

work·​force ˈwərk-ˌfō(ə)rs 

-ˌfȯ(ə)rs

: the workers of a specific activity or business

the factory's workforce