worker

noun

work·​er ˈwər-kər 

1

a

: one that works especially at manual or industrial labor or with a particular material

a factory worker

—often used in combination

b

: a member of the working class

2

: any of the sexually underdeveloped and usually sterile members of a colony of social ants, bees, wasps, or termites that perform most of the labor and protective duties of the colony

Synonyms

• laborer
• slave

Examples of worker in a Sentence

The company is planning to hire 200 workers.

The average worker earned $1,000 more this year.

If management doesn't make the changes, the workers will go on strike.

They are both hard workers.

Recent Examples on the Web

The trust fund used to make up the difference between what workers are paying in and what Social Security pays out in benefits is projected to run out of money in nine years. —Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images In one of the world’s most expensive cities, more workers are living paycheck to paycheck The Singapore consumer’s reputation for financial prudence and high savings is showing signs of strain. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025

With the recent signing of an executive order aimed at allowing 401(k) plans to include alternative investments such as private equity, private credit, real estate and cryptocurrency, more American workers could gain access to investment vehicles that were once off-limits to most retirement savers. —Gregory Clifford, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

At AbbVie United Park, the home ground for the Westport United soccer club, where many of the company’s workers and their families gather to train or cheer from the sidelines, locals said the tariffs could have a significant impact. —Kara Fox, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing worker

• care worker
• co-worker
• day worker
• gig worker
• guest worker
• sex worker
• voluntary worker
• wonder-worker
• worker-priest

Rhymes for worker

• caseworker
• coworker
• farmworker
• woodworker

Kids Definition

worker

noun

work·​er ˈwər-kər 

1

a

: one that works

b

: a member of the working class

2

: one of the members of a colony of social ants, bees, wasps, or termites that are only partially developed sexually and that perform most of the labor and protective duties of the colony