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homework

American  
[hohm-wurk] / ˈhoʊmˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork ).

  2. a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.

  3. paid work done at home, as piecework.

  4. thorough preparatory study of a subject.

    to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.
homework British  
/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. school work done out of lessons, esp at home

  2. any preparatory study

  3. work done at home for pay

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
homework Idioms  

  1. see do one's homework.

Etymology

Origin of homework

First recorded in 1675–85; home + work

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.

“Class materials, homework assignments, everything is on Max now,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The purpose, amount and content of homework has been debated for years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

"Before you go on your phone, you need to get everything done first, like your homework, your revision and things like that," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

That kind of homework matters, says Joseph Yoon, a consumer-insights analyst at Edmunds.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Just like Mrs. Tracy had waited for me to say I would bring the homework.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

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.