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
“Now is not the time for on-the-job training,” said Thomas Dowling, a spokesperson for Thompson.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
“Quite right,” Mr. Gonzalez said anxiously, his dapper person quivering at the prospect of an on-the-job accident.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, Conte and ex-Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann are all understood to have their eyes on the job.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
After running Google DeepMind, he recently took on the job of Google parent Alphabet’s chief scientist and DeepMind’s chair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
To ease his anxiety, a 16-year-old New Yorker put up signs asking to shadow people on the job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
But it’s also just another day on the job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Four years after Osborne left, however, a former guard from Elmira named Lewis Lawes took the helm and in twenty years on the job became America’s most famous and admired warden.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
