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downtime

American  
[doun-tahym] / ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of downtime

First recorded in 1925–30; down 1 + time

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"If it's raining outside and we're all tired and we need to rest, for that downtime we'll watch some TV," he adds.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Carmaker Mercedes Benz uses digital twins of its factories and assembly lines to reduce downtime, and also to test its driving software in simulations before real-world deployment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

The Navy acknowledged the reports of toilet problems in a statement last month, but cited ship leadership as saying that "clog incidents are addressed promptly by trained damage control and engineering personnel, with minimal downtime."

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Since national defense cannot tolerate downtime, readiness spending tends to persist even when procurement ebbs.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026

We push through without a break today, but I’m not in every scene, so I actually have quite a bit of downtime.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.