forced labor

noun

1

: very hard physical work that someone is forced to do

The prisoners endured years of forced labor.

2

: a group of people who are made to work very hard for no money

also : a system that allows this

The railroad was built with/by forced labor.

Examples of forced labor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawsuit alleged that the facility violated the state's minimum wage and forced labor laws by paying detainees $1 a day to work at the facility, sometimes under threat of solitary confinement. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

Many complained about tariffs and forced labor investigations and EPR. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026

Parting Thoughts Terrorism, tariffs, sanctions, cybersecurity, carrier liability, trade fraud, forced labor and more have pushed supply chain accountability to an executive-level governance concern. — Ed Ryan, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Xinjiang is home to many Uyghurs, a Muslim minority that the Chinese government has subjected to surveillance, forced labor and detainment in concentration camps. — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for forced labor

• belabor
• nonlabor
• neighbor
• neighbour
• saber
• sabre
• tabor

Legal Definition

forced labor

noun

: the act of providing or obtaining the labor of a person by use of or threat of force, physical restraint, serious harm (as physical, psychological, financial, or reputational), or abuse of legal process