Arbeit

Arbeit is a German noun meaning work, labor, or employment. The term is closely related to Dutch arbeid and has cognates in other Germanic languages; in English, the close equivalents are "work" or "labor."

In everyday usage, Arbeit denotes purposeful human activity intended to produce goods or services, or the state of being employed. The term also forms compounds common in German such as Arbeitsmarkt (labor market), Arbeitszeit (working time), and Arbeitsbedingungen (working conditions).

In philosophy and social theory, Arbeit is central to questions of value, production, and human activity. In Karl Marx's analysis, labor is the source of value and historical change; contemporary debates address automation, job quality, and work–life balance.

Historically, the term also appears in the controversial slogan "Arbeit macht frei" used by the Nazi regime; it is cited to illustrate the manipulation of work as an instrument of oppression, not a normative endorsement.

See also related terms such as Arbeitsrecht, Arbeitsmarkt, and Arbeitsplatz.