At work, busy, as in We've got three men on the job . [Late 1800s]
At work, busy, as in We've got three men on the job . [Late 1800s]
Paying close attention, alert, as in Trust Jim to find out the details—he's always on the job .
First recorded in 1935–40
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Now is not the time for on-the-job training,” said Thomas Dowling, a spokesperson for Thompson.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 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
AI has automated entry-level tasks that once served as on-the-job training.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
“If, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days,” Vice President J.D.
From Salon • Sep. 3, 2025
“Good luck” or “Godspeed” were what you might expect to hear at the conclusion of on-the-job training for some other kind of work.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
