union-buster
|u/ni/on/bust/er|
🇺🇸
/ˈjuːniənˌbʌstər/
🇬🇧
/ˈjuːnɪənˌbʌstə/
one who breaks or prevents a union
Etymology
'union-buster' is a compound of 'union' + 'buster' in modern English; 'union' from Latin 'unio' via Old French, and 'buster' from the agent form of 'bust' meaning 'one who breaks'.
'union' comes from Latin 'unio' > Old French 'union' > Middle English 'unioun'; 'bust' is a colloquial 19th-century English variant of 'burst', and the agentive suffix '-er' produced 'buster'; the compound 'union-buster' appears in English in the 20th century in labor contexts.
Initially 'buster' simply meant 'one who breaks' (literal breaking); over time in the labor context 'union-buster' came to mean specifically a person or agent who attempts to prevent or destroy labor unions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person, consultant, or agent who works to prevent the formation of a labor union or to break an existing union; someone engaged in 'union-busting'.
The company hired a union-buster to discourage employees from joining the organizing campaign.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/27 06:19