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
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
A swath of the workforce lacks access to an on-the-job retirement-savings plan, according to the Labor Department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
With an on-the-job training program, he has made Sepia a model, edited, printed and distributed from the million-dollar Fort Worth plant.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
He mentioned that schemes like Academi Adra give young people hands-on experience on the job.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
The league announced the four-year extension Sunday, with Goodell’s deal running through March 31, 2031, which would secure his 25th year on the job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
For example, larger shares of dry cleaners and construction workers said they use AI on the job when compared to administrative assistants and data-entry clerks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
"But on the global stage -- that's probably one of the biggest areas where he's going to have to learn on the job."
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
“I don’t want anybody to know we’re working with a stand-in. Duke will be back on the job in less than two weeks.”
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
