hard labour

British

noun

criminal law (formerly) the penalty of compulsory physical labour imposed in addition to a sentence of imprisonment: abolished in England in 1948

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Now fit and injury-free, he is enjoying the fruits of hard labour building up his body.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2024

Her husband Nurul, who's 22, manages to pick up just a few days of work a month, doing hard labour or cleaning the stinky sewers, but most days he's forced to sit at home.

From BBC • May 15, 2023

He suspects Mr Jordan and the state's legislative black caucus withdrew support for the measure because the state is one of a handful that still sentences prisoners to "hard labour".

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2022

"Three years each, no hard labour," said the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2022

They were content to eat the results of all this hard labour, but they were unwilling to do their full share of the work.

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith

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