work force
or workforce
noun
the total number of workers in a specific undertaking: a holiday for the company's work force.
the total number of persons employed or employable: a sharp increase in the nation's work force.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Also called labor force.
Origin of work force
First recorded in 1940–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for work force
British Dictionary definitions for work force
workforce
/ (ˈwɜːkˌfɔːs) /
noun
the total number of workers employed by a company on a specific job, project, etc
the total number of people who could be employedthe country's workforce is growing rapidly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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