- power supplied by people
- a unit of power based on the rate at which a person can work; approximately 75 watts
- the number of people available or required to perform a particular function
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
man•pow•er /ˈmænˌpaʊɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
- power in terms of people available for work or military service.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
manpower /ˈmænˌpaʊə/ n
man′ pow′er,
- the power supplied by human physical exertions:an ancient building constructed entirely by man power.
- Mechanicsa unit of power, assumed to be equal to the rate at which a person can do mechanical work, and commonly taken as 1⁄10 horsepower.
- Mechanicsrate of work in terms of this unit.
- manpower.
- 1860–65
- power in terms of people available or required for work or military service:the manpower of a country.
- man1 + power 1860–65
'manpower' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
automation
- jack
- man
- manhandle
- scientific
- man power
- outman
- War Manpower Commission
- WMC