worker

noun

ˈwər-kər How to pronounce worker (audio)
Definition of workernext
1
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work a champion of the rights of the farm workers who pick the nation's fruits and vegetables

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in employee
one who works for another for wages or a salary a factory owner who is known for his fair and generous treatment of his workers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of worker Artificial intelligence, a major player in who sees gains and losses, is also driving demand for workers in fields such as data analysis, cybersecurity and software development. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Measures would bar ‘addictive’ features for users under 16, expose platforms to million‑dollar penalties for harming kids, and require human oversight when AI tools discipline or fire workers. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 That friction comes with a steep price tag; UKG research on manufacturing turnover puts the cost of replacing a single skilled frontline worker at $20,000 to $40,000. — Sabra Sciolaro, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Green and red mulberries are scattered beneath them, no doubt causing the sanitation workers on the block to complain. — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worker
  1. laborer
  2. employee
  3. slave
Noun
  • Activists suspect that Flock’s data has been used to plan immigration raids, which frequently target hardware store parking lots where migrant day-laborers often wait for work.
    — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
  • His father, Charles, had expanded the New Jersey real estate development business his grandfather, a Polish Holocaust survivor, had begun after starting out as a construction laborer.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of laborer
Noun
  • The lawsuit filed by two former employees contains allegations that are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Fisher was told that her husband and other residents had been videotaped naked at the home, and the images were shared among a group of facility employees via Snapchat.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of employee
Noun
  • The movie follows Lucius’ return to Rome as a slave, forced to compete in gladiator fights as his father Maximus (Crowe’s character from the original movie) did before him.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • New York Life Insurance Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company and American International Group, known as AIG, were some of the businesses that listed previously disclosed ties to slaves and slaveholders.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of slave

Phrases Containing worker

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worked up
worker
workers
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Cite this Entry

“Worker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worker. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on worker

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about worker

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