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

Manpower cost savings are likely from 2028 onward, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Shares of staffing companies like ADP, Kelly Services, Manpower, and Robert Half have fallen significantly, with ADP down nearly 15%.

From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025

Per the Milwaukee outlet, Kobylarczyk has been let go from her job at the recruitment agency Manpower Group.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2025

Department of Labor launched A-TEAM — Athletes in Temporary Employment as Agricultural Manpower — with the goal of recruiting 20,000 high school athletes to harvest summer crops.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

“I’m serving Biafra well enough at the Manpower Directorate.”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie