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 of worker

• 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

Those efforts resulted in criminal charges against Giuliani in two states and a defamation lawsuit from election workers in Georgia. —James Powel, USA Today, 4 May 2026

Many of the workers were members of the Nisenan and Miwok tribes whom Sutter forced into slave labor. —Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Rob Carr / Getty Images Before starting her stable, DeVaux climbed her way up the ranks, beginning as a stable worker for the late Chuck Simon before becoming an assistant trainer for Chad Brown. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 3 May 2026

Some workers in LanguageLine have been trying to unionize since 2024, demanding things like higher pay, paid bathroom breaks and better benefits. —Huo Jingnan, NPR, 3 May 2026

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