hr

IPA/ˌeɪtʃˈɑː/
KK[ˈetʃˈɑr]IPA/ˈeɪtʃˈɑːr/

hr — noun

  • hrsingular
  • hrsplural

1. a short way of writing 'hour' or 'hours', used after a number to indicate how lo

1.nounA1
Definition

a short way of writing 'hour' or 'hours', used after a number to indicate how long an activity lasts or when an event is scheduled.

Example

The flight from Taipei to Tokyo takes about 3 hrs.

hrs after number for duration in hours

Please arrive at least one hr before your appointment.

Common collocations
  • per hr
  • hrs per week
  • hrs per day
  • 24 hrs

Usage Note

Common in schedules, timetables, and informal notes. The plural is usually 'hrs', but 'hr' is sometimes used for both singular and plural. In American English, a period is often added ('hr.'). In British English, the period is usually omitted.

Common Mistakes

She works 40h per week.
She works 40 hrs per week.
'h' is an uncommon abbreviation for hour; 'hr' or 'hrs' is the standard form.

2. a short way of writing 'human resources', referring to the department within a c

2.nounB1
Definition

a short way of writing 'human resources', referring to the department within a company or organization that manages hiring, training, salaries, and employee well-being.

Example

Please contact HR if you have questions about your health insurance.

contact HR — common verb + object pattern

The HR department at Adina's law firm handles all new job interviews.

HR department — typical noun phrase

Common collocations
  • HR department
  • HR manager
  • contact HR
  • HR policy
  • HR team
Synonyms
  • Personnel

    an older term for the HR department, still used in some traditional companies; less common in modern business language

Usage Note

Usually written in capital letters as 'HR', especially in formal writing and company communications. Functions as a proper noun referring to a specific department. The full form 'human resources' is used in formal contexts.

Word family

  • hour
    nounA1
  • human resources
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Hr' is the standard written abbreviation for 'hour' in schedules, timetables, and notes. The single letter 'h' (e.g., '40h work week') appears occasionally in very informal or space-limited contexts like spreadsheets, but it is less common and can be confused with other terms (e.g., 'h' for height). The full word 'hour' is used in formal writing and speech — for example, 'a 40‑hour work week' in a contract or 'the flight takes three hours' in conversation. Learners should use 'hr' or 'hrs' for written abbreviation and reserve 'hour' for formal prose.

hhr ↗hour ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The abbreviation 'hr' comes from two separate sources. For the sense of 'hour', it is a shortened form of the English word 'hour', which traces back through Old French 'hore' to Latin 'hora' and Greek 'hōra' meaning 'a period of time'. For the sense of 'human resources', it emerged in the mid‑20th century alongside business management terminology, shortening the phrase 'human resources' to its first letters.