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

It estimates that around 3.2 million workers receive overtime pay.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Assn., said in an emailed statement to The Times that his organization has been raising alarms about staffing shortages, cuts to overtime and response times.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

It’s not as if its overtime will throw off any other shows since “The Late Late Show” and “After Midnight” preceded it in death.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

Ridding oneself of unconscious bias can be a daily practice, so I hope this 60-something single man does not sacrifice too much of his downtime for overtime.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Officers on transportation detail get to leave the facility, and because many trips spill over from one shift to another, they rack up lots of overtime pay.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover