division of labor

[dih-vizh-uhn uhv ley-ber]

noun

Economics.

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

division of labor

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of division of labor¹

First recorded in 1770–80