division of labor

[ dih-vizh uhnuhv ley ber ]

/ dɪˈvɪʒ ən əv ˈleɪ bər /

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noun Economics.

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

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Origin of division of labor

First recorded in 1770–80

Words nearby division of labor

divisible, division, division algebra, division algorithm, divisionism, division of labor, division of labour, division ring, division sign, divisive, divisiveness

How to use division of labor in a sentence

Except the Braves did not win 14 straight pennants (they did win 14 straight division titles), and Smoltz is a also Republican.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame|Ben Jacobs|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Expensive day care pushes women out of the labor market while men continue to work outside the home.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to force Faubus to admit the students to Central High School.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Dallas Cowboys sell out their state-of-the art football stadium.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Public sector unions have also fractured the labor movement itself.
How Public Sector Unions Divide the Democrats|Daniel DiSalvo|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
With each division, in addition to the divisional staff, there were officers detached from the headquarters staff.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The blind Samson of labor will seize upon the pillars of society and bring them down in a common destruction.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Given one more Division we might try: as things are, my troops won't cover the mileage.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
In her he felt again, more distinctly than before, another person—division, conflict.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

Cultural definitions for division of labor

division of labor

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.