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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

Will you stay in Florida full time, like many people do, or go back to Illinois?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

In total, they spent a year and half working full time on “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

She also works full time for a plant breeder because the farm does not generate enough to pay the wages for both her and her husband.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Former “CBS Evening News” and morning show anchor Norah O’Donnell will also join “60 Minutes” full time as a correspondent, expanding her role with the show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

So I’ll be full time with Lou Ann reminding me of my mistakes.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

The two were working full-time jobs while talking about their literary dreams over the dining room table.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

When Albano, a full-time content creator, posts her school supply hauls on social media, a deluge of messages come in from moms desperately asking Albano to donate items to their kids.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

Your son has, perhaps, been given a rougher deal: Even though he is a full-time student with little or no income, he still pays about $500 for health insurance.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Nick wasn't as nervous as some because he'd recently secured a full-time job at a solicitors working in their IT department.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

In April 1927, she went back to working full-time.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield