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

Higher education institutions have been staring down a looming demographic reality that threatens not only their financial well-being but the nation’s workforce at large. —Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 31 May 2026

On the tour, Gatzemeier emphasized both the long-term construction workforce needed and the hiring the company expects once the fabs are operational. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 30 May 2026

The workforce is out-skilling the infrastructure designed to support it. —Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

The share of unemployed workers who are new to the workforce recently hit a 37-year high, according to a report by the Groundwork Collaborative and Fortune magazine. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 29 May 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