common labor
Unskilled physical work
Common labor is unskilled physical work requiring no specialized training—digging, lifting, hauling, clearing.
The term distinguishes basic manual tasks from skilled trades like carpentry or plumbing.
A common laborer is hired for strength and endurance rather than expertise: The construction site needed common labor for the demolition phase.
- working classManual laborers collectively
- hourly wagesPay based on hours
- blue-collar jobsManual occupations, often hourly
- hard workSustained strenuous effort
- heavy liftingArduous physical or mental exertion
grunt work · proletariat · sweat · sweat of the brow · factory floor · seasonal work · roustabout · drudgery · dirty jobs · unskilled work · coolie · cleaning · physical exertion · navvy · entry-level positions · janitorial services · temporary employment · minimum wage
common laborintellectual labor
Work requiring thought
creative work · clerical work · desk work · office work · scholarly work
common, labor, laborer, labored, uncommon, laboring, laborers, laborious, commoner