worker

noun

work·​er ˈwər-kər 

1

a

: 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

Synonyms of worker

• laborer
• slave

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

Sunday’s collision comes amid widespread chaos and delays at airports across the country due to the lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has left Transportation Security Administration workers unpaid for weeks. —Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026

The mayor also expressed hope that the federal government will resolve ongoing funding issues affecting TSA workers. —CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026

Archaeologists uncovered a clear technique of early construction workers. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026

Searches for the missing workers began late Friday after officials deployed unmanned firefighting robots to cool the structure and conducted a safety inspection. —Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing worker

• care worker
• co-worker
• day worker
• gig worker
• guest worker
• sex worker
• voluntary worker
• wonder-worker
• worker-priest

Rhymes for worker

• caseworker
• coworker
• farmworker
• woodworker

Kids Definition

worker

noun

work·​er ˈwər-kər 

1

a

: one that works

b

: a member of the working class

2

: one of the members of a colony of social ants, bees, wasps, or termites that are only partially developed sexually and that perform most of the labor and protective duties of the colony