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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

Keep working full time as long as possible.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 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

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

Wall, who works full time, says her mother will manage the childcare until her children need to be at school.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

This second day of Tansy’s teaching went along better, and ran the full time.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

None of them is a full-time MLB umpire but rather a minor-league call-up tapped only when needed, yet they are faring better with ABS than their more established peers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

As the full-time whistle blew, cementing Spain's victory, the pair could be seen embracing on the pitch.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

For families who want full-time dedicated staff, a travel nanny costs $120,000 to $170,000 a year; a private governess, a tutor who blends academics with social development, can today reach $200,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Henry Slade's covering tackle on Delguy proved to be the decisive moment, with Gardner surrounded by frustrated Argentina players at full-time.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

If he did it full-time, there might not be time for anything or anyone else.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon