labor
labor — noun
1. the effort, usually physical, that people put into their jobs or tasks, especial
the effort, usually physical, that people put into their jobs or tasks, especially when it is hard or tiring; something that requires a lot of energy to complete
The road workers were exhausted after a full day of heavy labor in the heat.
collocation: heavy labor / hard labor
Mira found that farming required more physical labor than she had imagined.
The new machine can do the work of ten people, saving both time and labor.
collocation: save labor / manual labor
Building the wooden shelves by hand took hours of careful labor.
Romi's labor on the garden project turned the empty yard into a beautiful space.
collocation: labor on [project/task]
- hard labor
- manual labor
- physical labor
- skilled labor
- labor costs
- labor force
Usage Note
Often used with adjectives like 'hard,' 'physical,' 'manual,' or 'skilled' to describe the type of effort involved.
Common Mistakes
2. a political party that aims to protect the rights and improve the living conditi
a political party that aims to protect the rights and improve the living conditions of ordinary working people
The Labor Party won the election after promising to raise the minimum wage.
proper noun: Labor Party
Voters in the city have supported Labor for more than twenty years.
Quan read about the history of the British Labour Party for his politics class.
British spelling: Labour Party
Labor proposed new laws to help people who rent their homes.
- Labor government
- Labor Party
- Labour Party
- vote Labor
- Labor candidate
- Labour Party
the standard British spelling of the same party
- workers' party
a more generic term for any party representing working-class interests
- Conservative Party
the main centre-right rival party in the UK
Usage Note
In the UK, Australia, and other Commonwealth countries, the party is spelled 'Labour Party' and capitalized. In the US, 'Labor' in this sense refers to the broader labor movement rather than a specific party.
Common Mistakes
3. all the people who supply their skills or physical effort to produce goods and s
all the people who supply their skills or physical effort to produce goods and services within an economy, a business, or an industry
The factory hired more labor during the busy season before the holidays.
collocation: hire labor
Skilled labor is hard to find in small towns where young people move away.
collocation: skilled labor / unskilled labor
The country's labor force has grown as more women have joined the workforce.
collocation: labor force
Nikhil studied the relationship between labor and management at the car company.
collocation: labor and management
Changes in technology often reduce the need for unskilled labor in factories.
- labor market
- labor force
- skilled labor
- unskilled labor
- child labor
- labor costs
- management
the people who direct and control workers
Usage Note
In economics, 'labor' is one of the three main 'factors of production,' alongside land and capital. When discussing a company's workforce, 'labor' can be paired with 'management' to describe the two main groups in a workplace.
4. the process in which a baby is born, involving regular tightenings of the womb a
the process in which a baby is born, involving regular tightenings of the womb and physical effort by the mother over a period of time
Eli was with his wife throughout her labor, holding her hand and encouraging her.
The nurse said the woman was in labor and needed the delivery room.
phrase: in labor / go into labor
After twelve hours of labor, the baby was born healthy and crying loudly.
time + of labor
Sari attended a class to learn breathing techniques for labor and delivery.
- go into labor
- be in labor
- labor pains
- labor and delivery
- labor ward
- childbirth
a broader term covering the whole process of having a baby
- delivery
specifically the final stage when the baby is born
Usage Note
Often paired with 'delivery' ('labor and delivery') to refer to the whole childbirth process. Used without an article: 'She is in labor.'
Common Mistakes
a labor of love
idiomA difficult task that someone does because they enjoy it, not because they have to.
Maya spent months building the garden shed as a labor of love.
For Brian, restoring the old car was a labor of love, not a job.
labor — verb
1. to put a lot of physical or mental effort into a job or activity, especially ove
to put a lot of physical or mental effort into a job or activity, especially over a long period of time
The volunteers labored all weekend to clean up the park after the storm.
labor + to-infinitive for purpose
Charlotte labored over her essay late into the night, rewriting each paragraph.
labor + over + noun (task)
Farmers in the valley labor from sunrise until dusk during the harvest season.
Joaquín labored on the car engine for hours before finding the problem.
labor + on + noun (specific task)
The team labored under difficult conditions to finish the bridge on time.
- labor over
- labor at
- labor on
- labor to do
- labor through
Grammar Patterns
labor + at/on/over + noun
labor + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Stronger than 'work' — 'labor' implies that the work requires noticeable effort or is physically/mentally demanding. Often used with a preposition ('at,' 'on,' 'over') to specify the task.
Common Mistakes
2. to move slowly and with great effort, especially because of tiredness, injury, o
to move slowly and with great effort, especially because of tiredness, injury, or a heavy load
The old truck labored up the steep hill, smoke rising from its engine.
labor + up + [slope]
Sayaka labored through the deep snow, each step sinking to her knee.
labor + through + [obstacle]
With broken shoes, Kemi labored along the rocky path back to the village.
The injured runner labored across the finish line while the crowd cheered.
labor + across + [destination]
- labor up
- labor through
- labor along
- labor across
Grammar Patterns
labor + up/along/through/over + noun
Usage Note
Common with motion prepositions ('up,' 'through,' 'along,' 'across') that describe a difficult path or obstacle. Can describe people, vehicles, or animals.
Common Mistakes
3. to be affected by a serious problem, difficulty, or mistaken belief that makes p
to be affected by a serious problem, difficulty, or mistaken belief that makes progress harder
The small company labored under a huge debt that it could not repay.
labor + under + [problem/burden]
David labored under the false idea that he had to solve every problem alone.
labor + under + [mistaken belief]
Many families in the region labor under the weight of poverty and poor housing.
The school labored with outdated books and not enough teachers for the students.
labor + with + [lack/resources]
- labor under
- labor under a misconception
- labor under difficulties
- labor with
- suffer
more direct and more common in everyday speech
- struggle with
similar meaning but less formal
- be burdened by
emphasizes the weight of the problem
- thrive
to grow and succeed under good conditions
Grammar Patterns
labor + under + noun
labor + with + noun
Usage Note
Typically in formal or written English. 'Labor under a misconception/delusion' is a fixed expression meaning to believe something false.
Common Mistakes
4. (of a woman) to experience the process of contractions and physical effort invol
(of a woman) to experience the process of contractions and physical effort involved in giving birth to a baby
The doctor said she had been laboring for eight hours and was almost ready.
Eve labored through the night with her mother and partner by her side.
labor + through + [period of time]
Women laboring in the hospital are cared for by experienced nurses and midwives.
Naoko's sister labored for only three hours before the baby arrived safely.
labor + for + [period of time]
- labor for hours
- labor through the night
- laboring mother
- labor naturally
- give birth
the more common everyday expression
- be in labor
focuses on being in the process rather than the action itself
Usage Note
Used specifically for the active phase of childbirth. The present participle 'laboring' is common in medical contexts ('laboring mother').
Common Mistakes
5. to spend too much time or effort explaining or discussing a small detail, especi
to spend too much time or effort explaining or discussing a small detail, especially to the point where it becomes boring or annoying
Ruben kept laboring the point even though everyone had already agreed with him.
fixed phrase: labor the point
The speaker labored his argument for so long that half the audience fell asleep.
In her report, Allison labored each minor finding as if it were earth-shattering.
The professor tended to labor his explanations, repeating the same idea in different ways.
labor + possessive + noun (explanation, argument)
- labor the point
- labor an argument
- labor a detail
Grammar Patterns
labor + noun (the point, an argument)
Usage Note
Almost always used with 'the point' ('to labor the point') or with abstract nouns like 'argument' or 'issue.' This is a formal usage and sounds unnatural with concrete objects.
Common Mistakes
6. to force a person, animal, or machine to work very hard, often to the point of e
to force a person, animal, or machine to work very hard, often to the point of exhaustion
The old farmer labored his horse from morning until night without a break.
Factory owners in the past often labored their workers for fourteen hours a day.
transitive: labor + [person/animal]
Christopher refused to labor his employees beyond the legal working hours.
The construction company was criticized for laboring its machines without proper maintenance.
transitive: labor + [machine]
- labor workers
- labor a horse
- labor the staff
- ease up on
to reduce pressure on someone
- spare
to refrain from making someone work too hard
Grammar Patterns
labor + noun phrase
Usage Note
This transitive verb sense is less common in modern English and can sound old-fashioned or formal, especially when referring to people. 'Overwork' or 'work to the bone' are more common alternatives in everyday speech.
Common Mistakes
labor — adjective
1. relating to work, the activity of working, or the conditions in which people do
relating to work, the activity of working, or the conditions in which people do their jobs
The government introduced new labor laws to protect workers from unfair treatment.
collocation: labor law / labor rights
Vinícius attended a conference on labor relations between employers and unions.
collocation: labor relations
Labor costs have risen sharply as the minimum wage has increased each year.
collocation: labor costs / labor market
The report examined labor conditions in garment factories across Southeast Asia.
collocation: labor conditions
Soraya wrote her thesis on labor movements in twentieth-century Europe.
collocation: labor movement
- labor law
- labor market
- labor costs
- labor relations
- labor conditions
- workplace
used as a compound noun to describe physical locations or rules
- employment
focuses on the legal or contractual relationship
Usage Note
Usually placed before a noun to describe something connected to the world of work. Common in news, economics, and business contexts. 'Labour' is the British spelling.
Common Mistakes
2. connected with a political party that represents the interests of working people
connected with a political party that represents the interests of working people, especially the Labour Party
The Labour candidate promised to create more jobs if she was elected.
proper noun: Labour candidate / Labour government
Haruto disagreed with the Labour government's decision to cut education funding.
Labour policies have traditionally focused on public services and workers' rights.
collocation: Labour policies / Labour party
The newspaper supports the Labour view on raising taxes for the richest people.
- Labour government
- Labour party
- Labour MP
- Labour policy
- Labour voter
- Conservative
describing the main rival party in the UK
- right-wing
describes the opposite political position
Usage Note
In British English, 'Labour' (capitalized) is used as an adjective to describe anything connected to the Labour Party. In US English, this sense is less common because there is no major 'Labor Party.'
Common Mistakes
Word family
- laborernounB1
- laboriousadjectiveB2
- laboriouslyadverbB2
- laboredadjectiveB2
- laboratorynounB1
- belaborverbC1
- labor-savingadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe putting effort into a task, but they differ in how intense or lasting the effort feels. 'Work' is the most neutral and general — you can work on anything from homework to a hobby. 'Labor' suggests noticeably harder, more draining effort, often physical: you labor over a difficult task that leaves you tired. 'Toil' is stronger still, implying prolonged, exhausting work that feels like a burden — a farmhand toils in the fields from dawn to dusk. 'Strive' focuses on the goal and the determination to reach it: you strive to achieve something important, even if the work itself is not physical. 'Slave' is the most intense, suggesting you work extremely hard for someone else without choice or fair reward — to slave over a hot stove means pushing yourself past what is pleasant. Choose 'work' for everyday effort, 'labor' for hard effort, 'toil' for exhausting effort, 'strive' for determined goal-oriented effort, and 'slave' for unwilling or forced hard work.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'labor' comes from Latin 'labor,' which meant 'toil, exertion, hardship, or fatigue.' It entered English through Old French 'labour' in the 13th century, initially referring to any hard task or piece of work. The childbirth sense developed in the late 1500s, comparing the mother's effort to the strain of hard work. The political meaning emerged in the late 19th century as labor unions grew and the Labour Party was formed in the UK in 1900. In American English, the spelling dropped the '-our' ending following Noah Webster's spelling reforms, while British English retains 'labour.'