manpower

American  

[man-pou-er] / ˈmænˌpaʊ ər /

noun

1. power in terms of people available or required for work or military service.

   the manpower of a country.

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manpower British  

/ ˈmænˌpaʊə /

noun

1. power supplied by men

2. a unit of power based on the rate at which a man can work; approximately 75 watts

3. the number of people available or required to perform a particular function

   the manpower of a battalion

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Usage

Gender-neutral form: personnel, staff

Etymology

Origin of manpower

First recorded in 1860–65; man + power

Explanation

Manpower is the total number of people who can work to get something done. How quickly you clean your house after a big party will depend on how much manpower you've got. The term manpower can mean "labor force," "workforce," "workers," or simply "people," and despite the man, it applies to both men and women. A large ship requires more manpower than a small sailboat, and the amount of manpower required to run Disneyland for a day is estimated to be at least 20,000 employees, most of whom aren't wearing cartoon character costumes.

Example Sentences

He talks, at length, about another priority: reducing Russia's advantage in terms of manpower.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

State commissioners lack the manpower to evaluate each investment individually.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Instead, four years on, Ukraine continues to hold its own against Russian troops across the east of the country, at an ever-increasing cost of manpower and resources for Moscow.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

"It is alarming that militants, with coordinated manpower and strategic acumen, have now reached the provincial capital," he added.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Sabotage had the added virtue of requiring the least manpower.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela