implies skilled work done with care and expertise; narrower than 'workman'
Grammar Patterns
a workman
workman + verb
Common Mistakes
The company needs a workman to answer customer calls.
The company needs a worker to answer customer calls.
'workman' refers to someone doing manual or physical labour, not office-based tasks.
She works as a workman in a factory.
She works as a worker in a factory.
'workman' is only used for men; for women or general reference, use 'worker' instead.
Word family
workmanship
nounB2
workmanlike
adjectiveC1
workmen
nounB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
'Worker' is the most general term for any person who does a job, regardless of the type of work or gender. 'Labourer' emphasises unskilled or semi-skilled physical tasks such as digging, lifting, or carrying; it is more common in British English and often implies temporary or outdoor work. 'Craftsman' refers to a skilled worker who creates or repairs things with care and expertise — for example, a carpenter or a stonemason — and carries a positive connotation of quality. 'Employee' is a formal, neutral term for anyone paid to work for an organisation, whether in an office or on a building site. 'Workman' sits between 'labourer' and 'craftsman': it always refers to a man, and while it suggests physical work, it does not specify skill level. Use 'worker' for general reference, 'workman' when the gender and manual nature are both relevant, and 'employee' in formal or legal contexts.
Combined from Old English 'weorc' (work) and 'mann' (human being, person). The compound has been used since the 14th century to describe a man employed in manual labour, distinct from a 'workwoman' or a clerk who worked with his mind rather than his hands.