workweek

[ wurk-week ]

/ ˈwɜrkˌwik /

Save This Word!

noun

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

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of workweek

First recorded in 1920–25; work + week

Words nearby workweek

worktop, work to rule, work train, workup, workwear, workweek, workwoman, work wonders, world, World Bank, World Bank Group

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT WORKWEEK

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.

Where does workweek come from?

The first records of the word workweek come from around 1900.

Many workers associate the workweek with the 40 or so hours they have to work during the week, but the 40-hour workweek is a relatively new concept. In fact, some of the first recorded references to the term workweek discuss a 60-hour workweek consisting of six, 10-hour days—for children. And this was considered an improvement over previous working conditions.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for workweek?

working week
week (when week refers to the five-day period that is not the weekend)

What are some words that share a root or word element with workweek?

What are some words that often get used in discussing workweek?

How is workweek used in real life?

The most common full-time workweek consists of 40 hours over five days, but workweeks vary widely in terms of their length and schedule.

"People were so ingrained with a 40-hour workweek, not because they wanted to work or needed to, but because it showed that they were valuable." https://t.co/VQqgMsBfo1

— zoe sayler (@zoe_sayler) December 3, 2020

I wonder how much of what is done in a typical 40 hour workweek can be accomplished over the span of 24 hours if given the right motivation.

— Fa’res Husseini (@FaresHusseini) December 8, 2020

During the workweek I feel like I can sleep all day but on my days off I wake up at 6am

— Jessie🌻🌵 (@thatloperjessie) December 5, 2020

Try using workweek!

True or False?

The word week can sometimes be used as a synonym for workweek.

How to use workweek in a sentence

A recent experiment with shorter workweeks in Iceland was a big success and generated headlines around the world, and American companies like Kickstarter are now trying out the idea.
The death of the job|Anna North|August 24, 2021|Vox
A recent study of shorter workweeks in Iceland was a big success, boosting worker well-being and even productivity.
The five-day workweek is dead|Anna North|July 13, 2021|Vox
If you’re curious, five out of seven days — a workweek — is 71 percent.
It’s once again time for Congress to start posturing about not taking a month off|Philip Bump|June 24, 2021|Washington Post
In a bid to increase the satisfaction of municipal government employees— many of whom commute from Copenhagen, roughly fifty miles away— the town reduced their workweek to Monday through Thursday in 2019.
Spain Is Going to Trial a 4-Day Work Week. Could the Idea Go Mainstream Post-Pandemic?|Lisa Abend|March 22, 2021|Time

First, another above-normal one seems likely to close the workweek tomorrow.
PM Update: Slightly cooler Friday, but still mild for late January|Ian Livingston|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
To begin with, this is the country that introduced a 35-hour workweek.
Obama’s Extravagant Summer Break? More Like, America’s Vacation-Deficit Disorder|Clive Irving|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As Douthat notes, a workweek is benificial to society, just like regular Church attendance.
Should We Rejoice a Post-Work Future? Ctd.|Ilana Glazer|February 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A normal workweek is necessary because it forces us into a routine.
Should We Rejoice a Post-Work Future? Ctd.|Ilana Glazer|February 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Rank-and-file retail workers logged the shortest workweek since early 2010: just 30.1 hours, on average, vs. 30.4 in December.
Obamacare's Impact on Full Time Jobs|David Frum|February 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the beginning of October, official NHL employees were placed on a four-day workweek and given a 20 percent salary cut.
Cancellation of NHL Games Has Negative Economic Impact|Miranda Green|December 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In 1973 the country was in the process of shifting from a forty-six-hour, six-day workweek to a 42.5-hour, five-day workweek.
Area Handbook for Bulgaria|Eugene K. Keefe, Violeta D. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole
The reduced workweek has also contributed to the absorption of those released from war service and war work.
State of the Union Addresses of Harry S. Truman|Harry S. Truman
The shorter workweek had been in effect on an experimental basis for about 17 percent of the industrial workers since 1968.
Area Handbook for Bulgaria|Eugene K. Keefe, Violeta D. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole

British Dictionary definitions for workweek

workweek

/ (ˈwɜːkˌwiːk) /

noun

US and Canadian the number of hours or days in a week actually or officially allocated to workAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): working week

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012