child labor
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of child labor
First recorded in 1875–80
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.
Local human-rights groups have tied excessive microfinance debt to suicides, migration, child labor and decreased food consumption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
It was a reaction to corporate abuses and corrupt governance and horrific things like child labor and environmental destruction.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
Just 27 citations were issued for child labor violations to the thousands of agricultural employers across California, the records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
The new enforcement efforts will be overseen by the state Labor and Workforce Development Agency, which directs key agencies charged with regulating child labor and worksite safety laws, officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
“Anyway, I don’t really have a choice since my parents own the place. Free child labor and all, you know?”
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
