worker

noun

work·​er ˈwər-kər How to pronounce worker (audio)
Synonyms of workernext
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

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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
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.
Mayor Robert Harrington referred the worker conditions issue to a council committee for more discussion on what Charlotte can do within the bounds of the law. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026 As part of orchestrating this project, Simon was also involved in securing visas for the various international performers, encountering in the process the uneven access to travel for cultural workers across classes, nationalities, and milieus. — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026 The circumstances and cultural details may vary, but these unequal power dynamics between families and their domestic workers exist everywhere, to different degrees. — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 And drunken drivers who slam into emergency vehicles and workers at crash sites. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worker

Word History

First Known Use

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

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

Phrases Containing worker

Rhymes for worker

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Browse Nearby Words

worked up
worker
worker cell
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Cite this Entry

“Worker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worker. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

worker

noun
work·​er ˈwər-kər How to pronounce worker (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on worker

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about worker

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