labor

1 of 3

noun

la·​bor ˈlā-bər How to pronounce labor (audio)
1
a
: expenditure of physical or mental effort especially when difficult or compulsory
was sentenced to six months at hard labor
b(1)
: the services performed by workers for wages as distinguished from those rendered by entrepreneurs for profits
(2)
: human activity that provides the goods or services in an economy
Industry needs labor for production.
c
: the physical activities (such as dilation of the cervix and contraction of the uterus) involved in giving birth
also : the period of such labor
2
a
: an economic group comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
wants the vote of labor in the elections
b
: the organizations or officials representing groups of workers
negotiations between labor and management
c(1)
: workers employed in an establishment
(2)
: workers available for employment
Immigrants provided a source of cheap labor.
3
usually Labour : the Labour party of the United Kingdom or of another part of the Commonwealth of Nations
4
: an act or process requiring labor : task
The three-month project evolved into a year-long labor.
5
: a product of labor
The flood destroyed the labor of years.

labor

2 of 3

verb

labored; laboring ˈlā-b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce labor (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to exert one's powers of body or mind especially with painful or strenuous effort : work
2
: to move with great effort
the truck labored up the hill
3
: to suffer from some disadvantage or distress
labor under a delusion
4
: to be in the labor of giving birth
5
of a ship : to pitch or roll heavily

transitive verb

1
: to treat or work out in often laborious detail
labor the obvious
2
3
: to cause to labor
4
archaic
a
: to spend labor on or produce by labor
b
: to strive to effect or achieve

labor

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of or relating to labor
2
capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting a political party held to represent the interests of workers or made up largely of organized labor groups
Choose the Right Synonym for labor

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion.

work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Examples of labor in a Sentence

Noun A day's labor should get the job done. Getting the job done will require many hours of difficult labor. He rested from his labors. The cost of repairing the car includes parts and labor. an area in which there is a shortage of cheap labor The proposed new law is opposed by organized labor. She went into labor this morning. She has been in labor for several hours. She began to have labor pains this morning. She had a difficult labor. Verb Workers labored in the vineyard. He labored for several years as a miner. She has labored in vain to convince them to accept her proposal. We should honor those who labored so long to make the truth known. The truck labored up the hill. I have been laboring through this book for months. She has a tendency to labor the obvious.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One report found that 22% of obstetricians in Idaho stopped practicing in the first 15 months after the bans became law, and three rural hospitals have closed labor and delivery centers. Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2024 The issue of lifeguards raises many questions: costs, liability, labor shortages. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for labor 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'labor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French labur, from Latin labor; perhaps akin to Latin labare to totter, labi to slip — more at sleep

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

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

Adjective

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of labor was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/labor. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

labor

1 of 2 noun
la·​bor ˈlā-bər How to pronounce labor (audio)
1
: physical or mental effort especially when hard or required : toil, work
2
a
: the services performed by workers for wages
b
: those who do labor for wages
3
: the physical efforts and pain of giving birth
also : the period of such labor
4
: something that requires work : task

labor

2 of 2 verb
labored; laboring -b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce labor (audio)
1
: to work hard
2
: to move with great effort
the truck labored up the hill

Medical Definition

labor

1 of 2 noun
la·​bor
variants or British labour
: the physical activities involved in childbirth consisting essentially of a prolonged series of involuntary contractions of the uterine musculature together with both reflex and voluntary contractions of the abdominal wall
drugs that induce labor
went into labor after a fall
also : the period of time during which such labor takes place

labor

2 of 2 intransitive verb
variants or British labour
: to be in the labor of giving birth

More from Merriam-Webster on labor

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