forced labor

noun

1
: very hard physical work that someone is forced to do
The prisoners endured years of forced labor.
2
: a group of people who are made to work very hard for no money
also : a system that allows this
The railroad was built with/by forced labor.

Examples of forced labor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just this week, 69 programs that combat child labor and forced labor abroad were axed by the Department of Labor. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025 Washington has threatened visa cancellations over Cuba’s medical brigade, saying governments are participating in human trafficking and forced labor. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025 Other parts of the U.K.’s immigration system have been criticized as well, including the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme, which NGOs say leaves people open to various forms of exploitation, debt bondage and forced labor. Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 In 2022, the Conservative government under Rishi Sunak quietly lifted the evidence threshold for the 'reasonable grounds’ stage, mandating there be concrete evidence of slavery or forced labor. Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forced labor

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Cite this Entry

“Forced labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forced%20labor. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Legal Definition

forced labor

noun
: the act of providing or obtaining the labor of a person by use of or threat of force, physical restraint, serious harm (as physical, psychological, financial, or reputational), or abuse of legal process
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