labor

American  

[ley-ber] / ˈleɪ bər /

especially British, labour

noun

1. productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.

   Antonyms:

   rest, leisure, idleness

2. the body of persons engaged in such activity, especially those working for wages.

   Synonyms:

   working class

3. this body of persons considered as a class (management andcapital ).

4. physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil.

   Synonyms:

   exertion

   Antonyms:

   rest, leisure, idleness

5. a job or task done or to be done.

6. the physical effort and periodic uterine contractions of childbirth.

   Synonyms:

   delivery, parturition

7. the interval from the onset of these contractions to childbirth.

8. Also called Labor Department.  Informal. Labor. the Department of Labor.

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verb (used without object)

1. to perform labor; exert one's powers of body or mind; work; toil.

   Synonyms:

   drudge

   Antonyms:

   rest

2. to strive, as toward a goal; work hard (often followed byfor ).

   to labor for peace.

3. to act, behave, or function at a disadvantage (usually followed byunder ).

   to labor under a misapprehension.

4. to be in the actual process of giving birth.

5. to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.

verb (used with object)

1. to develop or dwell on in excessive detail.

   Don't labor the point.

   Synonyms:

   overdo, belabor

2. to burden or tire.

   to labor the reader with unnecessary detail.

3. British Dialect. to work or till (soil or the like).

adjective

1. of or relating to workers, their associations, or working conditions.

   labor reforms.

labor British  

/ ˈleɪbə /

verb

1. the US spelling of labour

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labor Scientific  

/ lā′bər /

1. The process by which the birth of a mammal occurs, beginning with contractions of the uterus and ending with the expulsion of the fetus and the placenta.

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labor Cultural  

1. The physical processes at the end of a normal pregnancy, including opening of the cervix and contractions of the uterus, that lead to the birth of the baby.

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Usage

What are other ways to say labor? Labor refers to mental or physical work, especially that which is hard or fatiguing. When should you use labor instead of work, drudgery, or toil? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• antilabor adjective
• laboringly adverb
• laborless adjective
• nonlabor adjective
• outlabor verb (used with object)
• overlabor verb (used with object)
• prelabor noun
• prolabor adjective
• unlaboring adjective

Etymology

Origin of labor

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English labour, from Old French, from Latin labōr- (stem of labor ) “work”

Example Sentences

Stepping back, the labor market in many ways has narrowed to a single engine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Nationwide Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic said the March report showed the labor market was in "good standing," with "broad-based gains in the private sector."

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

With more people exiting the labor force, the so-called participation rate fell in March to 61.9%, to mark the lowest level in nearly five years.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Much of March's recovery was fueled by health care jobs, which have remained resilient even as labor demand has dropped in other sectors.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The precious time and hard physical labor needed to carry all their supplies and transport the canoes over dry land wasn’t their only problem.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• activity
• employment
• energy
• industry
• job