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.
The construction worker faces additional charges in state court. — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026 But the movement has widened to include workers demanding relief from rising living costs, making the government’s task broader than resolving a dispute over university admissions. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Also according to the emergency service, consecutive Russian strikes on a shopping center in Kharkiv injured four people late on Saturday, including three rescue workers. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 In 2016, tens of thousands of people demonstrated calling for an end to the US military presence on Okinawa following the killing of a local woman by a civilian worker stationed at the US Kadena Air Base. — Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 26 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 27 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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