labourers

IPA/ˈleɪ.bər.ər/
IPA/ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚ/

labourers — noun

  • labourerssingular
  • labourersesplural

1. someone who earns money by performing physical jobs that do not need special tra

1.nounB1
Definition

someone who earns money by performing physical jobs that do not need special training, often in outdoor settings such as farms, building sites, or roads

Example

The farm manager hired extra labourers to pick the apples before the storm hit.

collocation: hire labourers

A group of labourers were unloading bricks from a truck near the construction site.

passive: were unloading

Common collocations
  • farm labourer
  • construction labourer
  • hired labourers
  • manual labourer
  • migrant labourer
  • cheap labourer
  • casual labourer
  • seasonal labourer
Synonyms
  • worker

    broader term, can include skilled and non-physical jobs

  • manual worker

    more formal, highlights the physical nature

  • hand

    informal, used especially on farms ('farm hand')

  • workman

    slightly dated, often used for building trades

Antonyms
  • professional

    someone with advanced training, e.g. doctor, lawyer

  • office worker

    someone who works at a desk rather than with their hands

Usage Note

Used especially for outdoor manual work. The word suggests unskilled or semi-skilled physical labour, contrasting with 'skilled worker' who has formal training.

Common Mistakes

The company hired three labours to clean the site.
The company hired three labourers to clean the site.
The noun 'labour' means work in general; the person doing the work is a 'labourer'.
She works as a labourer in an office.
She works as a labourer on a farm.
'Labourer' is used for physical, manual work, not office jobs.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe people who work, but they differ in scope and register. 'Worker' is the broadest term, covering anyone employed — from a factory employee to a CEO. 'Labourer' narrows the meaning to physical, often unskilled, outdoor work. 'Manual worker' is a more formal and explicit label, used in official documents or surveys to distinguish physical from office work. 'Hand' is an informal, shorter term common in agricultural contexts ('farm hand') but less common for construction or factory work. For example, a hospital cleaner is a manual worker but not typically called a labourer; a person digging a ditch on a building site is both a labourer and a manual worker.

worker ↗labourer ↗manual workerhand ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • farm labourer
  • construction labourer
  • migrant labourer
  • seasonal labourer
  • casual labourer
  • railway labourer
  • manual labourer
  • day labourer

Phrases

  • hire extra labourers
  • work as a labourer
  • pay the labourers
  • a gang of labourers
  • a team of labourers

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'labourer', from Old French 'laboureor', from Latin 'laborator' (one who works), from 'labor' (work, toil, exertion). The spelling 'labour-' (with -our) reflects British English convention; American English uses 'laborer'.