A person who works, especially as a job. It can also mean a certain type of insect, like an ant or bee, that does specific jobs in a colony.
From 'work' plus the agent suffix '-er', which marks someone who does something. The pattern appears in many job words like 'teacher' and 'driver.'
Calling someone a 'worker' focuses on what they do, not who they are. In social and political talk, that tiny shift can make a big difference in how we view people and their roles.
'Worker' has been used both as a class term and in ways that implicitly centered male industrial or unionized labor, often erasing women workers in factories, farms, service roles, and domestic employment. In some contexts, 'working man' was treated as generic while women’s labor was framed as supplemental or secondary.
Use 'worker' for any person who performs labor, paid or unpaid, without assuming gender, and specify context (e.g., 'care worker,' 'factory worker') rather than gendered labels. Avoid assuming 'worker' refers mainly to men or to paid employment only.
["employee","staff member","laborer","care worker (specific)"]
When discussing labor movements or economic history, highlight the roles of women workers, including in organizing, strikes, and informal sectors, whose contributions were often under-documented.
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