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Industrial Workers of the World

American  

noun

  1. an international industrial labor union, considered radical by many, that was organized in Chicago in 1905 and that disintegrated after 1920. I.W.W., IWW


Industrial Workers of the World British  

noun

  1. IWW. an international revolutionary federation of industrial unions founded in Chicago in 1905: banned in the US in 1949 See also Wobbly

"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

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In 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World rejected the AFL’s narrow craft unionism, calling for one big union uniting all workers to abolish wage labor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

A statewide dragnet for organizers from the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, ensued, followed by hundreds of arrests.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2024

It is set in the early 20th century, chiefly in Spokane, Wash., as the Industrial Workers of the World organized free-speech protests against the gouging practices of employment agents and crew bosses.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2021

A strike was called, organized by the Industrial Workers of the World, one of the most radical of labor unions.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 7, 2018

Whether the Industrial Workers of the World shall or shall not speak at a certain place in the City of Everett is not an issue here.

From The Everett massacre A history of the class struggle in the lumber industry by Walker C. Smith

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