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

The Times of India found workers in Chirag Dilli, the city’s dumpling-making capital, so stretched for fuel that some had given up on steaming and had turned operations over to chow mein. —Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

The worker killed was an Indian national, according to the power ministry. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026

Instead, the portfolio company places equity reserved for workers, technically as a type of stock options, in a special trust. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026

That includes an auto shop that has been providing necessary service to TSA workers' vehicles for free. —Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 29 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