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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

"We've lived here for three years full time and there has never been information that you should take this road if there is a fire, never."

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Don’t miss: ‘I’d hate to end up with an unexpected tax bill’: I’m 73 and still work full time.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 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

He joined Comcast full time in 1981 after graduating the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

She could keep the kids in school and sew full time, make enough to get by without Henry’s help.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

New federal data this week showed an acceleration in weekly earnings growth for low- and middle-income full-time workers during the second quarter, compared with a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Its main source of money for the project is through fundraisers, but that can be difficult to organise as the volunteers are also balancing full-time work and different time zones.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Seven of MLB’s 76 full-time umps have accepted buyouts and will retire after this season, a person familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Hakimi’s full-time job is with Paris Saint-Germain, which is owned by Qatar; he continues to play for both teams with impunity.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Since then, Lidia dropped out of high school to take care of Penny full-time in a small apartment with her grandmother.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera