labor-intensive

adjective

la·​bor-in·​ten·​sive ˈlā-bər-in-ˌten(t)-siv How to pronounce labor-intensive (audio)
: having high labor costs per unit of output
especially : requiring greater expenditure on labor than in capital

Examples of labor-intensive in a Sentence

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.
This should reduce weight, lead to a need for fewer fasteners, leading to a stronger, less labor-intensive final product. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 Airlines are capital- and labor-intensive and structurally vulnerable to shocks beyond their control. — Somit Goyal, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Large firms have outsourced labor-intensive work while reaping technology’s huge productivity gains. — Claire Zillman, Fortune, 19 June 2026 The most effective, albeit labor-intensive, method to eliminate your Japanese beetle population is to pick the bugs off the plants with your bare hands and drop them into a cup full of soapy water. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for labor-intensive

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of labor-intensive was in 1928

Rhymes for labor-intensive

See All Rhymes for labor-intensive

Browse Nearby Words

laboring oar
labor-intensive
laborious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Labor-intensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/labor-intensive. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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