worker

work·er | \ ˈwər-kər

How to pronounce worker (audio)

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Definition of worker

1a : one that works especially at manual or industrial labor or with a particular material a factory worker —often used in combination

b : a member of the working class

2 : any of the sexually underdeveloped and usually sterile members of a colony of social ants, bees, wasps, or termites that perform most of the labor and protective duties of the colony

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Examples of worker in a Sentence

The company is planning to hire 200 workers. The average worker earned $1,000 more this year. If management doesn't make the changes, the workers will go on strike. They are both hard workers.

Recent Examples on the Web The First Circuit decision appears likely to have an impact beyond Massachusetts, in other states that, without explicitly exempting au pairs, offer protections to domestic workers greater than those of the federal au pair regulations. — New York Times, "A Court Said Au Pairs Deserve Minimum Wage. Some Families Are Protesting.," 8 Jan. 2020 The slowdown was linked in part to actions by the Trump administration to pressure China and other nations to abandon trade practices the administration sees as harmful to U.S. workers. — Washington Post, "US consumers took it easy on their credit cards in November," 8 Jan. 2020 Elaine stayed positive for her family and her workers during the difficult time. — Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Elaine Eisner, 'godmother of the Milwaukee advertising community,' dies at 92," 8 Jan. 2020 Chinese immigrants were seen as an economic threat to white American workers, and Japan became a military threat during World War II. — Niral Shah, The Conversation, "Asians are good at math? Why dressing up racism as a compliment just doesn’t add up," 6 Jan. 2020 Seasonal jobs are typically for the summer, though about 50 percent of seasonal hires were converted to permanent workers, Lowe’s said. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, "Lowe’s hiring 53,000 nationwide; Alabama job fairs set for Jan. 8," 3 Jan. 2020 The situation calls to mind California’s challenge to house tech workers in a landscape of deeply entrenched single-family zoning laws. — Margaret Rhodes, Fortune, "The Luminaries—Past and Present—Reimagining the Modern Office," 30 Dec. 2019 Mobile units were available to workers, according to the CDC, but welders said they hadn’t been trained to use them. — Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "CDC report raises ‘concern’ about metals, noise exposure at Precision Castparts," 29 Dec. 2019 The bump grants new or strengthened overtime protections to 120,000 workers in Massachusetts, according to the institute. — BostonGlobe.com, "On Jan. 1, the OT cap for salary workers rises to $35,568. Mass. wants to raise it even higher - The Boston Globe," 27 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'worker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Worker.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worker. Accessed 20 January 2020.

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More Definitions for worker

worker

noun

English Language Learners Definition of worker

: a person who does a particular job to earn money

: a person who is actively involved in a particular activity

: a person whose job does not involve managing other people

See the full definition for worker in the English Language Learners Dictionary

worker

work·er | \ ˈwər-kər

\

Kids Definition of worker

1 : a person who works cafeteria workers He's a good worker.

2 : one of the members of a colony of bees, ants, wasps, or termites that do most of the work of the colony

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