part time

¹ American  

[pahrt tahym] / ˈpɑrt ˈtaɪm /

noun

1. a period of time that is less than full time: PT, P/T

   Thirty-five hours a week is still considered part time.

---

part-time ² American  

[pahrt-tahym, pahrt-tahym] / ˈpɑrtˌtaɪm, ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm /

adjective

1. employed, functioning, or working less than the customary or requisite number of hours.

   They had only enough money to hire a part-time clerk.

2. lasting, requiring, or being in force only a part of the time.

   part-time employment;

   part-time jobs.

---

adverb

1. on a part-time basis.

   to work part-time.

part-time British  

adjective

1. for less than the entire time appropriate to an activity

   a part-time job

   a part-time waitress

---

adverb

1. on a part-time basis

   he works part time

Other Word Forms

• part-timer noun

Etymology

Origin of part time¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Origin of part-time²

First recorded in 1890–95; adjective, adverb use of part time

Example Sentences

A few jobs later, the couple moved to the U.S., where Ivanova took jobs handling grants and fundraising for various nonprofits, a role she still fills part time.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Netherlands has the highest share of part‑time workers in the OECD, with almost half of employees working less than full time.

From BBC

"The share of those working part time for economic reasons, meaning not by choice, has increased considerably," she said.

From Barron's

Ilia Malinin, who has worked with Arutyunyan part time since 2021, is the only person in the world to land a quad axel and is the overwhelming favorite for men’s gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games.

From Los Angeles Times

Eduardo Gomez opened a Roth last April with $15 from his first paycheck working part time at Chipotle; it had grown to $750 as of late December.

From The Wall Street Journal