: opposing or banning the closed shop and the union shop

Examples of right-to-work in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Southern states lured manufacturing investments with right-to-work laws, cheap energy, affordable housing, low-cost land and fast permitting. David Brooks, Mercury News, 31 May 2025 Georgia’s minimum wage is $7.25, the same as the federal rate, and the state is a right-to-work state. Kim Jarrett | The Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 18 Apr. 2025 Republican governors know how valuable right-to-work laws are for luring businesses fleeing blue states. The Editors, National Review, 3 Dec. 2024 Walker also warned that the court could target right-to-work laws and school voucher programs. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for right-to-work

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of right-to-work was in 1949

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Right-to-work.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right-to-work. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

right-to-work

adjective
: of, relating to, or being a law prohibiting labor agreements that require all employees to be union members
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!