worker

American  

[wur-ker] / ˈwɜr kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that works.

2. a laborer or employee.

   steel workers.

3. a person engaged in a particular field, activity, or cause.

   a worker in psychological research; a worker for the Republican Party.

4. Entomology.

   1. a member of a caste of sexually underdeveloped, nonreproductive bees, specialized to collect food and maintain the hive.

   2. a similar member of a specialized caste of ants, termites, or wasps.

5. Printing. one of a set of electrotyped plates used to print from (contrasted with molder).

6. any of several rollers covered with card clothing that work in combination with the stripper rollers and the cylinder in the carding of fibers.

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worker British  

/ ˈwɜːkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that works, usually at a specific job

   a good worker

   a research worker

2. an employee in an organization, as opposed to an employer or manager

3. a manual labourer or other employee working in a manufacturing or other industry

4. any other member of the working class

5. a sterile female member of a colony of bees, ants, or wasps that forages for food, cares for the larvae, etc

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Other Word Forms

• nonworker
  noun
• subworker
  noun
• workerless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of worker

First recorded in 1300–50, worker is from the Middle English word werker, worcher. See work, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Agents are software that can accomplish a complex series of tasks from simple conversational prompts, like a digital worker.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

One department store worker told the BBC that shoppers were being deterred by children "coming in en masse, creating noise and chaos".

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Another Starbucks worker, who also requested anonymity to protect their position, told MarketWatch that the goals are “way above” normal figures, and that their store faces some serious roadblocks to achieve them.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

“While the mistake occurred after an election worker did not follow proper procedures, the responsibility for what happened ultimately sits with me.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

On this particular morning the social worker was in an especially good mood.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• employee
• laborer
• staff