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Labour

In UK and New Zealand political shorthand, 'Labour' (capitalized) refers to the Labour Party — the center-left political party historically representing organized labor, workers, and social democratic values.

/lˈeɪbɝ/Current232 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
2 definitions
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Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK

In UK and New Zealand political shorthand, 'Labour' (capitalized) refers to the Labour Party — the center-left political party historically representing organized labor, workers, and social democratic values. Used without further qualification in news, political commentary, and conversation. In New Zealand, the Labour Party is similarly the main center-left party. The capitalized form distinguishes the party from the general noun.

Labour won the seat by a larger margin than anyone had predicted.
Origin: Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents

Labour means: In UK and New Zealand political shorthand, 'Labour' refers to the Labour Party - the center-left political party historically representing organized labor, workers, and social democratic values.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.

For ESL learners

Labour means: In UK and New Zealand political shorthand, 'Labour' refers to the Labour Party - the center-left political party historically representing organized labor, workers, and social. Register: informal, New Zealand English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.

Cluster: work
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK, NZ) the Labour Party.

Cluster: partying
Heard in the wild
  • “Yep, it's all the press! The fact that Labour have been fronting a ton of cruel and hateful policies that have gone down like a bucket of cold sick obviously played zero role in their losses.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Labour turned into a bunch of stinking Britain First asswipes”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “It's insane how after G&D, Labour and Reform went from attacking each other to BOTH attacking Greens.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Hopefully they will soon be gone if the local elections go badly for Labour.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Remember on Thursday that Labour in Wales, after nearly 30 years in power run the worst ambulance service in the UK talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/04/29/a...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers

Labour means: In UK and New Zealand political shorthand, 'Labour' refers to the Labour Party - the center-left political party historically representing organized labor, workers, and social democratic values.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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UK

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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.

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