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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

Etymology

Origin of full time¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Origin of full-time²

First recorded in 1895–1900

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

After completing his M.B.A. at Columbia Business School, he joined Gabelli Asset Management full time in 2008, initially as an analyst.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

The NAO says that part of the problem is a shortfall of around 2,200 full time probation officers, which the government expects to reduce to around 1,500 by September of this year.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

It didn’t require him to work full time because customers can use emailed codes to access the facility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

He told her he would give anything to return to a time when he was young, free of responsibilities and able to chase a passion full time, she recalled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Upon his return he gave up his previous research problem and was devoting full time to phage.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Ross Douthat, a longtime conservative voice on the New York Times op-ed page, has been hired as full-time correspondent on “60 Minutes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Several internal names are still being considered for full-time and contributor roles on the program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The first question is whether you’re genuinely passionate about investing, or just trying to grow money on the side while working a full-time job.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

He was part of an interim coaching staff at Rangers in 2021 and worked in the Spurs academy, before leaving in 2024 to pursue a full-time managerial role.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Mom decided that since she had to go back to work full-time, laundry had to become a “family responsibility.”

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz