homework
Americannoun
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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.
The father-of-four is constantly ferrying the kids - aged between seven and 13 - to endless activities including taekwondo, swimming and drumming, as well helping them figure out their homework.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
He explains: "These conversations strengthen a child's sense of meaning and purpose. They are just as important as making sure kids have done their homework and correcting their mistakes, maybe more."
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
Unsurprisingly, Vance hadn’t done his homework: Both men involved in that crime were British by birth.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
Daily, she would awaken as early as 5 a.m. to review homework assignments before beginning class at 7 a.m. at Hesperia High.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
“Except, um, I can’t do my homework without a computer.”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
