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• full time
  full time

  noun

  the number of hours in a period, as a day, week, or month, considered customary for pursuing an activity, especially working at a job: FT, F/T
• full-time
  full-time

  adjective

  working or operating the customary or requisite number of hours in each day, week, or month.

full time

¹ American  

[fool tahym] / ˈfʊl ˈtaɪm /

noun

1. the number of hours in a period, as a day, week, or month, considered customary for pursuing an activity, especially working at a job: FT, F/T

   The factory now operates on full time.

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full-time ² American  

[fool-tahym] / ˈfʊlˈtaɪm /

adjective

1. working or operating the customary or requisite number of hours in each day, week, or month.

   a full-time housekeeper;

   full-time production.

2. being indefinitely employed by one company for the customary or requisite number of hours.

   Only full-time employees are eligible for healthcare.

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adverb

1. on a full-time basis; on a schedule corresponding to the customary number of working or operational hours.

full-time ¹ British  

adjective

1. for the entire time appropriate to an activity

   a full-time job

   a full-time student

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adverb

1. on a full-time basis

   he works full time

full time ² British  

noun

1. the end of a football or other match Compare half-time

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Other Word Forms

• full-timer
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of full time¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Origin of full-time²

First recorded in 1895–1900

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Explanation

If you do something full-time, you spend most of your available time doing it. Working full-time usually means spending around forty hours a week doing your work. You can be employed at a full-time job, or you can be a full-time student. Some people are full-time parents, and you might hope to be a full-time artist or a full-time musician one day. In all of these examples, people use the majority of their waking hours (at least during the work week) focusing on one thing. This term dates from the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

full time full-time

But the share of couples with children in which both parents work full time is now 52 percent, up from 31 percent in 1975.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

Gund was at its own crossroads when Steve and his older brother, Rich—now the company’s chairman and chief operating officer—joined full time in the early 1990s, helping make spare parts for generators and other components.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

I ended up quitting my job to stay home and care for him full time.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

I miss doing stand-up full time, but maybe that’s only because I don’t do it full time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

“I still can’t afford it because I need to start working full time to help my family get out of debt. I need to work more than full time, in fact.”

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Matt Prosz, who hosts and manages other Airbnb properties full-time, believes the update will improve the guest experience without changing how most people behave.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

A recent college graduate with an engineering degree who hadn’t yet secured a full-time job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Her campaign has a surrogate in Youth 4 Bass, run by Sabahat “Sabah” Nabiha, a 22-year-old full-time campaign staffer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

Blankley, 24, didn’t set out to work 60-hour weeks, but the pay from his full-time job was only covering the essentials in New York City: an apartment he shares with a roommate, food and transportation.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Keeth had a demanding, full-time job and wasn’t even at the foundation that much, but he was kind enough to give me his cell number and make time despite his busy schedule.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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