What does "labour" mean?
An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.
Labour
/ˈleɪ.bə/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.
- Grammar: labour is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: toil, work, bear, birth process.
- Useful contrasts: Conservative Party, abort, ease.
- Usage evidence: We are indirectly dependent upon the labour of others for all the necessities and comforts of our lives.
How to use "labour"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "labour" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "labour" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "labour" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "labour" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "labour" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "toil" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "labour", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work. countable, uncountable
"[…]So I ſet myſelf to enlarge my Cave and Works farther into the Earth; for it was a looſe ſandy Rock, which yielded eaſily to the Labour I beſtowed on it[…]"
- 2 productive work (especially physical work done for wages) wordnet
- 3 That which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort. countable, uncountable
"Being a labour of so great difficulty, the exact performance thereof we may rather wish than look for."
- 4 any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted wordnet
- 5 Workers in general; the working class, the workforce; sometimes specifically the labour movement, organised labour. uncountable
"In the autumn there was a row at some cement works about the unskilled labour men. A union had just been started for them and all but a few joined. One of these blacklegs was laid for by a picket and knocked out of time."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages wordnet
- 7 A political party or force aiming or claiming to represent the interests of labour. uncountable
- 8 a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries wordnet
- 9 The act or process of a mother giving birth. countable, uncountable
"Near-synonyms: childbirth, parturition"
- 10 an organized attempt by workers to improve their status by united action (particularly via labor unions) or the leaders of this movement wordnet
- 11 The time period during which a mother gives birth. countable, uncountable
- 12 concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child wordnet
- 13 The pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging. countable, uncountable
- 14 A traditional unit of area in Mexico and Texas, equivalent to 177.1 acres or 71.67 ha. countable, historical, uncountable
"the establishment of a new settlement are entitled to five sitios of grazing land, and five labors (equal to 23,025 acres)"
- 15 A group of moles. countable, uncommon, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To toil, to work. intransitive
"Standing on the mountain above Caerphilly, one may reflect upon the gap where once stood Llanbradach Viaduct, and look near at hand upon the restored ruins of Caerphilly Castle; man labours to rebuild the mediaeval whilst he ruthlessly scraps the modern."
- 2 undergo the efforts of childbirth wordnet
- 3 To belabour, to emphasise or expand upon (a point in a debate, etc). transitive
"I think we've all got the idea. There's no need to labour the point."
- 4 strive and make an effort to reach a goal wordnet
- 5 To be oppressed with difficulties or disease; to do one's work under conditions which make it especially hard or wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a burden.
"the stone that labours up the hill"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 work hard wordnet
- 7 To suffer the pangs of childbirth.
- 8 To pitch or roll heavily, as a ship in a turbulent sea.
"the ship laboured so much, and took in so much water in her upper works, that we could neither eat, nor sleep dry"
Proper Noun
- 1 Short for the Labour Party. New-Zealand, UK, abbreviation, alt-of
- 2 Misspelling of Labor, an Australian political party. Australia, alt-of, misspelling
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We are indirectly dependent upon the labour of others for all the necessities and comforts of our lives."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "labour"?
Common synonyms include: toil, work, bear, birth process, british labour party, childbed.
How do you use "labour" in a sentence?
We are indirectly dependent upon the labour of others for all the necessities and comforts of our lives.
How do you pronounce "labour"?
Pronounced /ˈleɪ.bə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English labor, labour, labur, from Old French labor (modern labeur) and its etymon, Latin labor.
Etymology 2
From Middle English labouren, from Old French laborer, from Latin laborare (“(intransitive) to labor, strive, exert oneself, suffer, be in distress, (transitive) to work out, elaborate”), from labor (“labor, toil, work, exertion”); perhaps remotely akin to robur (“strength”). Displaced native English swink (“toil, labor”).