workforce

noun

ˈwərk-ˌfȯrs How to pronounce workforce (audio)
Definition of workforcenext
as in staff
a body of persons at work or available for work the office's entire workforce is devoted to a single project right now

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of workforce Her plans include addressing shortages in the county's police, fire and corrections departments through recruitment, retention and workforce support. — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 In less exciting news, Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, which is over 25% of its global workforce. — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026 And Bengaluru is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India, as the city hosts a tech workforce that’s said to be more than 1 million in number. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2026 That would make the workforce housing apartments available to renters making up to $61,500 or $71,750. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for workforce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for workforce
  1. staff
  2. manpower
  3. personnel
  4. pool
Noun
  • While many commissioners supported the idea, commission staff said the benchmark was too stringent to employ without understanding how the new sand placement will fare over the next few months or years.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The service Round-the-clock red-carpet treatment delivered by warm, thoughtful, professional staff is what makes The Peninsula tick.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of staff
Noun
  • This could reduce the time and manpower required to search large areas manually, particularly as Chinese military aircraft and vessels operate more frequently around Taiwan.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • If Memphis isn't one of them, the city will have to try to maintain its momentum on public safety without extra manpower.
    — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of manpower
Noun
  • Lockheed Martin has expanded its Orion workforce by adding over 100 technicians and support personnel, pushing operations to a round-the-clock, three-shift schedule, seven days a week.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The White House faced calls for policy and personnel shakeups after brutal midterm elections, with the defense secretary under most pressure.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of personnel
Noun
  • In addition to the pool at the spa, the hotel has a main pool area fringed with palm trees, with sunken loungers in the shallows and Nile views at every turn.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Methodology The ranking drew from an initial pool of over 7,000 of the Asia-Pacific's largest and most influential companies.
    — TIME Staff, Time, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of pool

Browse Nearby Words

work (for)
workforce
workforces
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Workforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/workforce. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abandon

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All