homework
Americannoun
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homework
plural
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schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork ).
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a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
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thorough preparatory study of a subject.
to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.
noun
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school work done out of lessons, esp at home
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any preparatory study
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work done at home for pay
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of homework
Explanation
Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework. Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework" excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age. High school students typically have a lot of homework most days, and often that's true for younger students as well. In college, an increasing amount of school work is done outside of class, as homework (even if you do it in the library, a cafe, or a dorm). Homework originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s.
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.
“It’s so important for investors and advisers to do their homework, because there are so many different flavors of these even in this very young space,” Evens said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
If you're thinking about reaching out to someone online, the key is to show you've done your homework, Leverich says.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Since many schools have banned homework, kids while away their afternoons on social media where proper grammar and syntax are passé.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Researching the asynchronicity the institution was promoting, I saw it involved pre-recorded lectures, no live meetings and homework submitted by email 24/7 — no personal interactions.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
“Your homework this week is to do something for yourself.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
