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

Example Sentences

"They don't have the manpower to get her out," the woman says.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

If the military still falls short of its manpower needs, politicians say, they may resort to compulsory military service, which was suspended in 2011.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 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

Heavy industrial traffic tore up rural roads that were never built for that kind of weight, and the counties hit the hardest didn’t have the money or manpower to keep up with the damage.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

That August, nearly a year after buying the houses, Greenberg’s lawyer asked the city to extend his client's deadline for making repairs, citing insufficient manpower to get the job done.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson