Definition

Proper noun 1. AFL: An acronym for the American Federation of Labor, a major national federation of labor unions in the United States and Canada, founded in 1886. It historically represented skilled craft workers. It merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

Usage

• The term AFL is used as a proper noun to refer specifically to this historical labor organization. It is typically preceded by the definite article "the".
• Example: "The AFL was a dominant force in American labor during the first half of the 20th century."

Advanced Usage

• The merger in 1955 created the AFL-CIO, which remains the largest federation of unions in the United States. When discussing post-1955 history, the combined name AFL-CIO is used.
• Example: "The AFL-CIO continues to advocate for workers' rights."

Variants and Related Words

• AFL-CIO (Proper noun): The organization formed by the merger of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Synonyms

• American Federation of Labor (full name)

Notes on Different Meanings

• AFL is almost exclusively used as the acronym for the American Federation of Labor in historical and labor relations contexts.
• In other contexts, such as sports, AFL can stand for other organizations (e.g., Australian Football League, Arena Football League). The intended meaning is always determined by the context. This entry defines the term as a major historical labor federation.

Noun

1. a federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955