NEET

American

[neet] / nit /

noun

PLURAL

NEETs

Not in Education, Employment, or Training: a young person who is not working, studying, or receiving vocational training.

NEET British

/ niːt, niːt /

acronym

(in Britain) not in employment, education, or training: a person so described

"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

Etymology

Origin of NEET

First recorded in 1995–2000

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 numbers of young people who are Neet have been consistently above 900,000 since early 2024 and reached an 11 year high of 987,000 earlier this year.

From BBC

Nathan, 21, is currently Neet and is on a six-week employability course in Leeds, run by The Spear Programme, a charity that supports young people across the country by coaching them in communication and interview skills.

From BBC

Historically, more women than men have been Neet, but in recent years that trend has reversed.

From BBC

In July to September 2025, an estimated 512,000 of all male 16-24-year-olds were Neet, compared with 434,000 of young women.

From BBC

Announcing a scheme to help young people get access to paid work, education, and apprenticeships, the government said Neet numbers had been "Far too high for too long".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023