Langimage
English

worker-hostile

|work/er-hos/tile|

C1

🇺🇸

/ˈwɜrkər ˈhɑːstaɪl/

🇬🇧

/ˈwɜːkə ˈhɒstaɪl/

unfriendly to workers

Etymology
Etymology Information

'worker-hostile' is a compound word formed from 'worker' and 'hostile'. 'Worker' originates from Old English 'weorc' meaning 'work', and 'hostile' comes from Latin 'hostilis', meaning 'of an enemy'.

Historical Evolution

'Worker' evolved from Old English 'weorc' to Middle English 'werk', and 'hostile' from Latin 'hostilis' to Old French 'hostile', eventually becoming the modern English 'hostile'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, 'hostile' meant 'of an enemy', but in the compound 'worker-hostile', it evolved to mean 'unfriendly or detrimental to workers'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adjective 1

describing an environment or policy that is unfriendly or detrimental to workers.

The company's new policy is considered worker-hostile by many employees.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/20 18:15