What does sweatshop mean?
A sweatshop is a workplace where employees are forced to work long hours, usually for very low wages, in poor or unsafe conditions. The word is especially associated with garment and manufacturing industries, but it can describe any severely exploitative workplace. In figurative use, “sweatshop” may characterize an office, company, or industry as a place where employees are overworked, underpaid, or treated with little regard for their health or dignity. The term is strongly critical rather than neutral and commonly appears in reports on labor conditions, consumer ethics, and global supply chains. Its imagery is powerful: the word combines the physical strain of “sweat” with the workplace in a “shop,” making it an effective symbol of labor exploitation. Because it conveys a serious accusation, it is generally used when there are credible concerns about working conditions or treatment of workers.
nounA workplace, especially a garment or manufacturing workplace, where employees are forced to work long hours in poor conditions for very low pay. The term may also be used figuratively for any particularly exploitative workplace.
- A workplace, especially in manufacturing or garment production, where workers are subjected to long hours, low wages, and poor or unsafe conditions.
- A broader figurative reference to a workplace where employees are treated exploitatively.
"Investigators found that the clothing company had been operating a sweatshop under dangerously overcrowded conditions."
"The charity said that several of its suppliers had links to sweatshops in South Asia."
"His account of an oppressive office culture reads like a modern description of a sweatshop."
The usual plural form is “sweatshops,” as in “the company operates several sweatshops.”
"Consumer groups have urged retailers to disclose factories and sweatshops in their supply chains."
The word sweatshop turns an ordinary place of work into a powerful symbol of economic exploitation: even its compound form carries the image of working until one sweats.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sweatshop come from?
“Sweatshop” is an English compound formed from “sweat” and “shop.” Its development reflects the historical use of “sweat” for arduous labor and for conditions of hard or oppressive work. The compound became established in reference to poorly regulated factories and garment workshops where workers were compelled to labor under harsh conditions. It belongs to a broader English family based on “sweat,” including words such as “sweater,” “sweatshirt,” and “sweaty.”
How sweatshop is actually used
The term is strongly critical and is generally used for businesses or workplaces with serious labor exploitation. It is recognized in both British and American English and is also used metaphorically, often in political and economic commentary.
Easily confused with sweatshop
A sweatshirt is a casual long-sleeved top, whereas a sweatshop is a workplace associated with exploitation and unsafe labor conditions.