workweek

[wurk-week]

noun

1. the total number of regular working working hours or days in a week.

workweek

/ ˈwɜːkˌwiːk /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): working week. the number of hours or days in a week actually or officially allocated to work

Word History and Origins

Origin of workweek¹

First recorded in 1920–25; work + week

Example Sentences

Labor-market indicators improved, pointing to small increases in employment and a longer average workweek, it noted.

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Other stories we feature include the rise and fall of the 40-hour workweek, the fermented-food boom and a reality check on antidepressants.

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The 40-hour workweek is so firmly embedded in American culture that its norms pepper our language.

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Young people grouse that employers are monitoring their productivity with “surveillance state technologies” and expect them to “do six jobs in a 40-hour workweek.”

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Those younger than 35 led the decline, working an average of nearly two hours less a week, while older employees reduced their workweek by just under one hour.

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When To Use

What does workweek mean?

The workweek is the span of (often five) days that are not the weekend—the days when many people work.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 workweek (five eight-hour days). In this sense, the workweek consists of all the time spent working in a week.The workweek can also be called the working week. A day of the workweek can be called a workday.The word week can sometimes be used to refer to the workweek, as in I can’t wait for this week to be over so I can spend the weekend relaxing. (Otherwise, week most commonly refers to any period of seven consecutive days or to the seven-day period on the calendar that begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday).Example: I’m usually too busy to do any of my hobbies during the workweek, but that’s how I spend my weekends.