week
Americannoun
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a period of seven successive days.
That wallpapering I thought I could do in two days ended up taking me a whole week.
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the period of seven days from Sunday through Saturday, generally understood as the common representation of a week on a calendar.
The 1st of next month is a Tuesday, so the first full week will begin on the 6th.
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a period of seven successive days that begins with or includes an indicated day.
the week of June 3; Christmas week.
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(often initial capital letter) a period of seven successive days devoted to a particular celebration, honor, cause, etc..
National Book Week.
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the working days or working portion of the seven-day period; workweek.
Not all American workers put in the same number of hours on the job, but a 40-hour week is the norm.
adverb
noun
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a period of seven consecutive days, esp one beginning with Sunday
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a period of seven consecutive days beginning from or including a specified day
Easter week
a week from Wednesday
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the period of time within a week devoted to work
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a week devoted to the celebration of a cause
adverb
Usage
What does week mean? Week most generally refers to any period of seven consecutive days. The word week also commonly refers to the seven-day period that begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday (though in some places this may be different, with the week considered to begin on Monday, for example). There are 52 of these weeks in a calendar year. Sometimes, the word week is used to refer to a seven-day period that begins or includes a specific day, as in the week of September 5 or Thanksgiving week. It can also be used to refer to a seven-day period dedicated to a specific cause or cultural observation, as in National Grief Awareness Week. The word week is also often used to refer to the workweek (or schoolweek) to distinguish this span of (often five) days from the weekend. The standard workweek is from Monday through Friday, with Saturday and Sunday being considered the weekend, though working schedules vary widely. Many full-time jobs consist of a 40-hour week (five eight-hour days). The days within this five-day span are called weekdays, and the evenings of those days are called weeknights. The middle of the week is called midweek. The word weekly most commonly means done or happening once a week or every week, as in a weekly meeting. Example: They said it would take a week to get a reply, and it’s been six days already, so I’m hoping for a response tomorrow.
Etymology
Origin of week
First recorded before 900; Middle English weke, Old English wice; cognate with Dutch week, Old Norse vika “week,” Gothic wikō “turn”; akin to Latin vicis (genitive) “turn” ( vice 3 )
Explanation
Seven days make up one week, and there are 52 weeks in a year. If you won't see your friend again until next Thursday, you can say, "See you next week!" Before the adoption of the Roman calendar, a week was more of a vague kind of change or succession, like the turning of a full moon to a half moon, for example. The modern week is strictly calendar-related, and seven days long, unless you're talking about a "work week" or a "school week," as in "I have Friday off, so my school week ends tomorrow!"
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.
Before the war, years of persistent inflation hadn’t shown signs of denting consumer spending, which grew by 5.3% before adjusting for inflation in the 12 months through February, the Commerce Department said last week.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
This morning, I hovered in the doorway while my wife, who works from home a few days a week, laughed on a call.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
A childhood dream of making video games is becoming a reality this week for Imagine Dragons' singer Dan Reynolds, as his company's debut title "Last Flag" is released Tuesday.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
McIlroy arrived more than a week ago with a host of engagements to fulfill.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
She packed us more than we could eat if we got lost for a week and never found the crick.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
