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nonworking

American  
[non-wur-king] / nɒnˈwɜr kɪŋ /

adjective

  1. not employed for a salary, fees, or wages; not producing or generating income.

    Our employee medical plan also covers nonworking spouses.

  2. not involved in or deriving from labor; not engaged in or directed toward work, especially as an employee.

    What are some of your nonworking activities?

  3. not functioning or operating.

    a nonworking coffee grinder.


nonworking British  
/ nɒnˈwɜːkɪŋ /

adjective

  1. not engaged in payed employment

    nonworking mothers

  2. (of machinery, technology, etc) not operating properly or effectively

    nonworking telephones

"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 nonworking

First recorded in 1850–55; non- + working

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.

Today, the average nonworking man spends 520 hours a year on “recreational computer time,” most of it video games.

From Los Angeles Times

During a Dec. 10 outage in Moorpark, a utility truck failed to stop at a nonworking light on State Route 118, crashing into a sedan.

From Los Angeles Times

He paid an annual rent of “one peppercorn,” according to details of the lease, triggering questions from British lawmakers about why a nonworking royal appeared to be getting subsidized housing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Andrew is rarely seen at public events having already been relegated to the status of “nonworking royal.”

From The Wall Street Journal

A change in the 2021 International Fire Code, for example, required that midsize construction sites employ a “fire watch” during nonworking hours.

From Slate