division of labor

[ dih-vizh-uhnuhv ley-ber ]

nounEconomics.
  1. a production process in which a worker or group of workers is assigned a specialized task in order to increase efficiency.

Origin of division of labor

1
First recorded in 1770–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use division of labor in a sentence

  • Probably the division-of-labor science never had a happier illustration than is presented by their agreement.

    One Of Them | Charles James Lever

Cultural definitions for division of labor

division of labor

Dividing a job into many specialized parts, with a single worker or a few workers assigned to each part. Division of labor is important to mass production.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.