n [ pl ]
a series of British laws concerning safety and working conditions in factories. During the Industrial Revolution British factories were dangerous places to work in, and in most of them even young children had to work for long hours. People working for social change fought hard campaigns to force the government to make these laws. The most important Factory Acts were those passed in the first half of the 19th century. They limited the number of hours that children could work, and made it illegal to employ very young children.