workhouse
noun
work·house
ˈwərk-ˌhau̇s 
1
British
: poorhouse
2
: a house of correction for persons guilty of minor law violations
Examples of workhouse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Originally intended as a workhouse, Rikers Island has grown into a sprawling complex of jails that currently houses thousands of inmates awaiting trial or serving short sentences.
—
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Her father lost a leg in World War I, her mother was born out of wedlock, and her grandmother once labored in a workhouse for the poor.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Murphy’s latest project, Small Things Like These, depicting the horrors of Ireland’s church’s abusive workhouses for unwed mothers, is set for a Nov. 1 release in the U.K., and Nov. 8 in the U.S.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024
Banning Christmas Dinner Poor laws passed in Great Britain in the 1830s reversed a centuries-old tradition to forbid workhouses from serving roast beef and plum pudding at Christmas.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for workhouse 
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.
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Her father lost a leg in World War I, her mother was born out of wedlock, and her grandmother once labored in a workhouse for the poor.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Murphy’s latest project, Small Things Like These, depicting the horrors of Ireland’s church’s abusive workhouses for unwed mothers, is set for a Nov. 1 release in the U.K., and Nov. 8 in the U.S.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024
Banning Christmas Dinner Poor laws passed in Great Britain in the 1830s reversed a centuries-old tradition to forbid workhouses from serving roast beef and plum pudding at Christmas.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for workhouse
Dictionary Entries Near workhouse
Cite this Entry
“Workhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workhouse. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
workhouse
noun
work·house
ˈwərk-ˌhau̇s
1
British
: poorhouse
2
: a place where persons who have committed minor wrongdoings are kept
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share