overtime

American  

[oh-ver-tahym, oh-ver-tahym] / ˈoʊ vərˌtaɪm, ˌoʊ vərˈtaɪm /

noun

1. working time before or after one's regularly scheduled working hours; extra working time.

2. pay for such time (distinguished from straight time).

3. time in excess of a prescribed period.

4. Sports. an additional period of play for deciding the winner of a game in which the contestants are tied at the end of the regular playing period.

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adverb

1. during overtime.

   to work overtime.

adjective

1. of or for overtime.

   overtime pay.

verb (used with object)

overtimed, overtiming

1. to give too much time to (a photographic exposure).

overtime British  

noun

1. 1. work at a regular job done in addition to regular working hours

   2. ( as modifier )

      overtime pay

2. the rate of pay established for such work

3. time in excess of a set period

4. sport extra time

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adverb

1. beyond the regular or stipulated time

verb

1. (tr) to exceed the required time for (a photographic exposure)

Etymology

Origin of overtime

First recorded in 1530–40; over- + time

Explanation

Overtime is the amount of time you work beyond your regular hours. If your boss asks you to work over 40 hours one week, that's overtime and you should demand extra pay. You can use this word as a noun or an adjective, as in overtime pay or overtime hours. At some workplaces, working overtime earns you more than the normal hourly salary. In other cases, full time employees are expected to work overtime without any extra pay. In sports, overtime is when play goes longer than the usual time — more than nine innings in a baseball game, or more than a twenty-minute half in basketball, for example.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overtime overtimed

Automatic license plate readers like Flock cameras were by far the top choice for combatting catalytic converter theft, beating out overtime for investigators and additional training.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

For his seven seasons with the Clippers, he was a part-time worker getting paid excessive overtime.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Those without special labour-management agreements in the first place will remain legally obliged to keep monthly overtime to 45 hours or less.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The U.S. team went undefeated, including an overtime thriller against Canada for the gold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Monique got up about seven and decided to go to work early to put in some overtime.

From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper

The action raced like an overtimed kinetoscopic film.

From A Man to His Mate by Stockton Mulford