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division of labor

American

[dih-vizh-uhn uhv ley-ber] / dɪˈvɪʒ ən əv ˈleɪ bər /

noun

Economics.

a production process in which a worker or group of workers is assigned a specialized task in order to increase efficiency.

division of labor Cultural

Dividing a job into many specialized parts, with a single worker or a few workers assigned to each part. Division of labor is important to mass production.

Etymology

Origin of division of labor

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He doesn’t even know how the division of labor started.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

Reduced armor may go hand in hand with other helpful social traits, including cooperative foraging, shared nest defense, and division of labor, all of which tend to become more pronounced as colonies grow.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2025

A division of labor seems to be taking place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

In my research, I’ve studied how couples navigate the transition to parenthood, and found that the division of labor often becomes a major source of stress for moms.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2025

Truman’s contingent is not big enough for a division of labor.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023