Phrase guide

right to work

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɹaɪt tə wɜːk/
  • US: /ɹaɪt tə wɝk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The human right (the right of an individual) to have gainful employment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: public policy

Topics: ethics, human-sciences, law, philosophy, sciences

Examples

  • 1948, United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 23.1), United Nations Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The prohibition of union security agreements or closed shops; the prohibition of the requirement that those who take on work in a unionised shop join the union or pay it for representing them.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Qualifier: public policy

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see right, work.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: право на труд (pravo na trud) — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 工作權 /工作权 (gōngzuò quán) — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Dutch: recht op arbeid — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Dutch: recht op werk — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Finnish: oikeus työhön — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • French: droit au travail — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • German: Recht auf Arbeit — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Hungarian: a munkához való jog — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Italian: diritto al lavoro — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Japanese: 働く権利 (hataraku kenri) — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Polish: prawo do pracy — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Russian: пра́во на труд (právo na trud) — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Spanish: derecho al trabajo — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Spanish: derecho a trabajar — the fundamental human right to have employment
  • Spanish: derecho al trabajo — prohibition of closed shops