downtime

[doun-tahym]

noun

1. a time times during a regular working period when an employee is not actively productive.

2. an interval during which a machine is not productive, as during repair, malfunction, maintenance.

downtime

/ ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm /

noun

1. commerce time during which a machine or plant is not working because it is incapable of production, as when under repair: the term is sometimes used to include all nonproductive time Compare idle time

2. informal,  time spent not working; spare time

Word History and Origins

Origin of downtime¹

First recorded in 1925–30; down ¹ + time

Example Sentences

The dilemma Greene will eventually confront is that there’s no way to cast the presidency as a housewife’s hobby to be enjoyed in the downtime between dropping kids off at school and cleaning the stove.

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In her downtime, she tries to think about what else, other than acting, she loved to do as a kid.

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Big Bus Tour – If you travel like me, you have a packed itinerary with loads of fun, great food, and not a whole lot of downtime.

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In her brief downtime she did as little as possible.

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Olsen: I feel like making a TV show, there’s a lot of downtime; there’s lot of just sort of hanging around.

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Related Words

• free time www.thesaurus.com
• spare time