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:
"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
She would offer her on-the-job experience and political network to Berkeley while “learning from the students and from the faculty about what we should be talking about as we go forward” in politics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
AI has automated entry-level tasks that once served as on-the-job training.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
There will also be more on-the-job specific training.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
Holly had enough on-the-job experience to realize that she was under fire, and immediately curled her elfin frame into a ball, minimizing the target.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
But after seven months with him on the job, you won’t find anyone at USC — players, coaches or administrators alike — with an ounce of distress over Patterson’s stamina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
A 16-year-old lifeguard in his first summer on the job helped rescue a child from pounding waves in Santa Cruz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Her first year on the job saw the founding of Goodreads, the user-generated review platform that would go on to permanently shift the balance of power between author and reader.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Major employers largely held back on adding people due to economic uncertainties or a belief that artificial intelligence could shoulder more tasks on the job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
There was nothing like coming home after a long day on the job, switching off your shield, and sinking into a bubbling slime pool.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
