manpower
B2Formal, Business, Governmental, Military
Definition
Meaning
The total number of people available or required for work or military service.
The human resource capacity of an organization, nation, or project; the collective physical and mental labor of a workforce. Often used to discuss availability, planning, and allocation of human resources.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is often used in planning, management, and statistical contexts. It implies a quantitative, and sometimes commodified, view of human labor. While still widely used, it is increasingly being replaced by more gender-neutral terms like 'workforce', 'personnel', or 'human resources' in many modern contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both use the term in similar formal and institutional contexts.
Connotations
Slightly dated in both varieties due to gender-specific 'man-' prefix. The push for gender-neutral language has affected its use more noticeably in American corporate and academic contexts.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British English in governmental and military contexts (e.g., 'Manpower Services Commission' was a UK government agency). In American English, 'workforce' is now more common in corporate reports.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Noun + of + manpower (a shortage of manpower)Adjective + manpower (skilled manpower)Verb + manpower (to deploy manpower)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The project is a manpower drain.”
- “They're throwing manpower at the problem.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in strategic planning: 'The merger will lead to a review of our total manpower.'
Academic
Used in economics, sociology, and history: 'Post-war reconstruction required a massive reallocation of manpower.'
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Might be used to discuss a big task: 'We just don't have the manpower to finish the garden today.'
Technical
Common in military, engineering, and project management: 'The feasibility study includes detailed manpower projections.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The factory needs more manpower.
- A shortage of manpower is slowing down the construction project.
- Effective manpower planning is crucial for the success of any large-scale military operation.
- The government's new policy aims to optimise manpower distribution across emerging tech sectors, mitigating regional disparities.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a POWER plant run by MEN (people). MANPOWER = the power provided by human beings.
Conceptual Metaphor
PEOPLE ARE A RESOURCE / LABOR IS A QUANTIFIABLE COMMODITY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'ручная сила' (manual labor). 'Manpower' is broader, encompassing all workers. The closer Russian equivalents are 'рабочая сила', 'трудовые ресурсы', or 'личный состав'. Avoid direct calquing.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a plural (e.g., 'We need more manpowers' - INCORRECT). It is an uncountable noun. Confusing it with 'manpower' as a verb (it is only a noun).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'manpower' becoming less preferred due to linguistic sensitivity?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is considered dated and gender-specific by many. In formal and modern contexts, especially in corporate and academic settings, terms like 'workforce', 'personnel', 'staff', or 'human resources' are often preferred.
Yes, the term refers to all people available for work, regardless of gender. However, the prefix 'man-' can be perceived as excluding women, which is why more inclusive alternatives are encouraged.
It is an uncountable noun. You cannot say 'manpowers'. You refer to it as 'a lot of manpower', 'enough manpower', or 'the manpower'.
They are often synonyms. However, 'manpower' often has a more quantitative, statistical, or planning-oriented connotation (like a resource to be managed), while 'workforce' can sound slightly more neutral and modern, referring to the body of workers as a whole.