workloads

IPA/ˈwɜːk.ləʊd/
KK[wˈɚklˌodz]IPA/ˈwɝːk.loʊd/

workloads — noun

  • workloadssingular
  • workloadsesplural

1. the total quantity of tasks or projects assigned to a person, a team, or a machi

1.nounB1
Definition

the total quantity of tasks or projects assigned to a person, a team, or a machine over a set period, or the level of effort required to finish them

Example

Aoi's workload doubled when two of her colleagues left the company.

workload + doubled (change in amount)

The new software helped reduce the team's workload by automating routine tasks.

reduce + workload

Common collocations
  • heavy workload
  • light workload
  • increased workload
  • reduced workload
  • manage one's workload
  • handle the workload
  • workload distribution
  • workload management
Synonyms
  • volume of work

    more formal, emphasises the sheer amount rather than the assignment

  • task load

    more technical; used in workplace studies and productivity analysis

Usage Note

Although workload has a regular plural form (workloads), it is most often used as an uncountable or singular noun. Rather than saying 'many workloads,' native speakers typically say 'a heavy workload,' 'a light workload,' or 'too much workload.'

Common Mistakes

I have many workloads this week.
I have a heavy workload this week.
Workload is usually treated as uncountable quantity, not a countable item.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three alternatives refer to how much work someone has, but they differ in focus and register. 'Volume of work' is the most formal and emphasises the sheer quantity (e.g. 'The volume of work this quarter is overwhelming'). 'Task load' is more technical and is common in productivity research or project management, where work is broken into discrete tasks. 'Work rate' shifts the emphasis from total quantity to speed — how quickly the work is done (e.g. 'Her work rate has improved'). For everyday conversation about how much a person is expected to do, 'workload' remains the most natural and widely understood choice.

volume of worktask loadwork rate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • spread the workload
  • ease the workload
  • cope with the workload
  • take on a workload

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound of 'work' (Old English weorc, meaning effort or activity) and 'load' (Old English lād, meaning a burden or weight). The combination first appeared in the early 20th century, originally in industrial contexts to describe the amount of work assigned to a machine or factory, and later extended to people and organisations.

First known use

1899

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1