on-the-job
adjective
done, received, or happening while in actual performance of one's work.
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on-the-job
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on the job
on the job
At work, busy, as in We've got three men on the job . [Late 1800s]
on-the-job
American
[on-thuh-job, awn-]
/ ˈɒn ðəˌdʒɒb, ˈɔn- /
adjective
on the job
Idioms
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At work, busy, as in We've got three men on the job . [Late 1800s]
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Paying close attention, alert, as in Trust Jim to find out the details—he's always on the job .
Etymology
Origin of on-the-job
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
See Examples For:
Apprentices are generally paid a lower wage but get on-the-job training and practical work experience.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Look, the United States Senate is no place for on-the-job training," Fry said last during a primary debate last week.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
To address their lack of work experience, the firm gave them 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and also channeled them to SAU Tech, for 80 hours of coursework.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
AI has automated entry-level tasks that once served as on-the-job training.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
“Good luck” or “Godspeed” were what you might expect to hear at the conclusion of on-the-job training for some other kind of work.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
He mentioned that schemes like Academi Adra give young people hands-on experience on the job.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Flannery was a recent hire whose first day on the job was Aug. 21, the same day the ad dropped.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The number of followers that Apple’s new CEO John Ternus attracted within three hours of creating a profile on X yesterday, his first day on the job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Six in 10 construction-equipment workers and nearly half of laundry and dry-cleaning workers said they used AI for at least one task on the job.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Foremen and superintendents, along with a few laborers who decided to stay on the job and the recruited blacks, were doing what they could to keep the disassembly line running.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
