semiskilled

American  

[sem-ee-skild, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm iˈskɪld, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

1. having or requiring more training and skill than unskilled labor but less than skilled labor.

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semiskilled British  

/ ˌsɛmɪˈskɪld /

adjective

1. partly skilled or trained but not sufficiently so to perform specialized work

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Etymology

Origin of semiskilled

First recorded in 1915–20; semi- + skilled

Example Sentences

In Lynn, Mass., shopkeepers consolidated skilled labor while distributing semiskilled work to households.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

An agency reported that the work force nationwide is composed of 10 percent professional, 10 percent clerical, 30 percent skilled, 15 percent service, and 35 percent semiskilled laborers.

From Textbooks • Mar. 27, 2020

Luddites, remember, were the weavers who responded to the Industrial Revolution by trying to destroy the machines that had destroyed what had up until then a semiskilled, and decently paid, profession.

From Washington Post • Mar. 31, 2017

As baby boomers age, O'Keefe says, they'll drive the need for semiskilled health care workers, such as home health aides, to assist with daily tasks and basic medical services.

From US News • Jan. 26, 2016

The Army planned to take officers and enlisted specialists from the top three categories and the semiskilled soldiers and laborers from the two lowest.

From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by MacGregor, Morris J.