slave labor

American  

noun

1. persons, especially a large group, performing labor under duress or threats, as prisoners in a concentration camp; a labor force of slaves or slavelike prisoners.

2. labor done by such a labor force.

3. any coerced or poorly remunerated work.

   Data entry at that salary is slave labor.

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Other Word Forms

• slave-labor adjective

Etymology

Origin of slave labor

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Today he works as an ambassador against slave labor for the International Labor Organization.

From Los Angeles Times

With the 1793 invention of the cotton gin—which separated cotton fibers from its seeds with a previously undreamed-of efficiency—America’s plantation economy expanded exponentially and so did its use of slave labor.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even more heartbreaking is who constructs the road itself: “The captured animals are now being forced to work slave labor,” said Winnie Holzman, who wrote the screenplay with Dana Fox.

From Los Angeles Times

Tim Dillon was scheduled to perform, but was later dropped by the Riyadh festival, he said, because of jokes he made about Saudi Arabia’s alleged use of slave labor.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s not down to paying Canadians less or slave labor or having different governmental incentives,” said Johnston.

From Slate