laborer

American  

[ley-ber-er] / ˈleɪ bər ər /

noun

laborers plural

1. a person engaged in work that requires bodily strength rather than skill or training.

   a laborer in the field.

2. any worker.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underlaborer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• laborers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of laborer

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at labor, -er ¹

Explanation

A laborer is a worker, especially a person who does some kind of physical work. A stone mason is a laborer, but you probably wouldn't call a poet a laborer. In the old days, the word laborer implied an unskilled or menial worker, like a day laborer on a farm who might be hired at an hourly rate to haul rocks out of a field, or a street paver's assistant. Today, a laborer is thought of as someone who works with her hands, often outside. Laborer comes from labor, in Old French "work, exertion, or task," from the Latin laborem, "toil, exertion, or fatigue."

Example Sentences

“We welcome this swift and much-needed relief for Isaac, which is a testament to the blatant illegality of the government’s actions,” said Lauren Wilfong, a lawyer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The stars of the film, which was made in collaboration with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, celebrate their on-screen debut.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Days after her husband’s arrest, Alrashid and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network rallied outside B-18 to shed light on Othmane’s case.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2025

“This is a systematic attack against the most vulnerable members of the migrant community,” said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

"The author of 'The Laborer of Lyons' must be a man of distinguished literary genius," was the reply.

From Edmond Dantès by Flagg, Edmund

Related Words

• hand
• manual worker
• worker