weekends
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
What does weekends mean? The word weekends can be used as an adverb meaning every weekend or on or during weekends, as in I work weekends, so I always miss my son’s Saturday games. Weekends is of course also the plural of the noun weekend. The weekend is most commonly considered the period between Friday evening and the end of Sunday. More strictly speaking, the weekend is thought to consist of Saturday and Sunday (often regardless of whether the calendar week is considered to begin on Sunday or Monday). In practical terms, the weekend is typically considered to be the period between the end of the workweek (or school week) and the beginning of a new one—which is why most people consider their weekend to start on Friday night, after work or school. However, when weekends is used as an adverb, it usually means every Saturday and Sunday or on Saturdays and Sundays. For example, a store that’s open weekends is open during at least some hours every Saturday and Sunday. Example: I live on campus during the week but I go home weekends.
Etymology
Origin of weekends
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.
“I don’t think that there are many people who worked harder than my dad,” said Hannah Cannom, recalling childhood weekends spent hanging out at nurses’ stations around the hospital as her father made his rounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
"I've lost count of the amount of times I have seen police taking people and putting them into the back of the wagon. They do quite a good job but that's generally at the weekends."
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
They inherited $10 million from their grandparents, go skydiving on weekends, are gainfully employed, and do not need the money right now.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
The licence would allow the new location to remain open and sell alcohol until 23:30 BST on weekdays and midnight at weekends.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Evenings, some weekends, in exchange for room, kitchen privileges.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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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.