forced labor

noun

1
: very hard physical work that someone is forced to do
The prisoners endured years of forced labor.
2
: a group of people who are made to work very hard for no money
also : a system that allows this
The railroad was built with/by forced labor.

Examples of forced labor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
So, this was a place of both horror, forced labor and of refuge. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2025 In the years leading up to U.S. involvement in the Pacific, the Imperial Japanese Army did deplorable things in China that amounted to mass murder, as well as rape, torture, medical experimentation, and forced labor. Kevin Chroust, Outside Online, 5 Feb. 2025 Riccardo Noury, a spokesman for Amnesty International Italy, said his agency had documented cases of torture, rape, forced labor and other crimes in prisons overseen by Mr. Njeem. Emma Bubola, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025 Those charges, brought in September 2024, include accusations of kidnapping, arson, forced labor and obstruction of justice and have Combs sitting in solitary confinement in a Brooklyn detention center without bail. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for forced labor 

Dictionary Entries Near forced labor

Cite this Entry

“Forced labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forced%20labor. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Legal Definition

forced labor

noun
: the act of providing or obtaining the labor of a person by use of or threat of force, physical restraint, serious harm (as physical, psychological, financial, or reputational), or abuse of legal process
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