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• part time
  part time

  noun

  a period of time that is less than full time: PT, P/T
• part-time
  part-time

  adjective

  employed, functioning, or working less than the customary or requisite number of hours.

part time

¹ American  

[pahrt tahym] / ˈpɑrt ˈtaɪm /

noun

1. a period of time that is less than full time: PT, P/T

   Thirty-five hours a week is still considered part time.

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part-time ² American  

[pahrt-tahym, pahrt-tahym] / ˈpɑrtˌtaɪm, ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm /

adjective

1. employed, functioning, or working less than the customary or requisite number of hours.

   They had only enough money to hire a part-time clerk.

2. lasting, requiring, or being in force only a part of the time.

   part-time employment;

   part-time jobs.

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adverb

1. on a part-time basis.

   to work part-time.

part-time British  

adjective

1. for less than the entire time appropriate to an activity

   a part-time job

   a part-time waitress

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adverb

1. on a part-time basis

   he works part time

Other Word Forms

• part-timer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of part time¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Origin of part-time²

First recorded in 1890–95; adjective, adverb use of part time

Explanation

Anything that's part-time is done less often than is typical or average. If you're sick of working full-time hours, try working part-time. Part-time works as an adjective or an adverb, to describe things that don't take up as much time as you might expect, just part of a day or part of a week. If you're a part-time bus driver, you might do it twenty hours each week, in between classes. You could also call yourself a part-time student, or say that you study sociology part-time.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

part time part-time

The question is whether Ted, working part time as the assistant manager of a supermarket, is living the best version of himself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

One of Lee’s goals now is to save enough money to go to college out-of-state without having to work part time while in school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Probably one of the biggest changes coming for undergraduate students is the way loans are calculated for students who attend college part time.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

A recent survey conducted by Indeed Flex, a job search site, says almost 30% of retirees are considering part time or temporary work.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

She worked part time in a laboratory on campus to support herself too, but she had a hard time doing that when she lost him.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

In Reneé Rapp–esque wire-framed glasses, he no longer looked like the youngest billionaire in recent history but rather a precariously employed part-time DJ with a menthol-cigarette problem.

From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2026

Experience: Pearlman says she served on the board of trustees from 2001 to 2017 and taught part-time at all nine colleges before and after her time on the board.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The factory employs about 375 full- and part-time workers, including dozens who’ve been there for more than 40 years; head count is up about 100 from last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The global star appeared in a stylish black-and-white video for the retail chain's part-time worker recruitment campaign and can be seen performing tasks typically set out for staff working at the franchise.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Some of us worked full-time, some part-time, some stayed at home with their kids.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama