workweek

IPA/ˈwɜːkwiːk/
KK[wˈɚkwˌik]IPA/ˈwɜːrkwiːk/

workweek — noun

  • workweeksingular
  • workweeksplural

1. The total number of hours or days that a person spends doing their job over seve

1.nounB1
Definition

The total number of hours or days that a person spends doing their job over seven days, from Monday to Sunday.

Example

Lucas has a 40-hour workweek at the downtown office.

count noun: a [number]-hour workweek

The company cut the workweek to thirty hours for all employees.

Common collocations
  • long workweek
  • short workweek
  • 40-hour workweek
  • reduce the workweek
  • extend the workweek
  • four-day workweek
Synonyms
  • working hours

    more general; can refer to daily or weekly schedule

  • hours

    shorter, informal; context makes the weekly meaning clear

  • week

    very informal as in 'I put in a 50-hour week'

Grammar Patterns

a [number]-hour workweek

Usage Note

Counts the total hours or days worked per week, not the calendar days. A standard full-time workweek in many countries is 35–40 hours.

Common Mistakes

She works a long workday every week.' (when meaning total weekly hours).
She works a long workweek of sixty hours.
'workday' refers to a single day, not the whole week.

2. The five-day block at the start of the week when most people go to their jobs, a

2.nounB1
Definition

The five-day block at the start of the week when most people go to their jobs, as opposed to Saturday and Sunday.

Example

Hugo commutes by train during the workweek but drives on weekends.

contrastive: workweek vs weekend

The workweek starts on Monday for most office workers in Taiwan.

Common collocations
  • during the workweek
  • throughout the workweek
  • end of the workweek
  • start of the workweek
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • weekend

    the two-day break from work, Saturday and Sunday

Grammar Patterns

during the workweek

throughout the workweek

Usage Note

Names the calendar period running Monday through Friday. Unlike sense 1 (HOURS WORKED), does not count total hours — it identifies the part of the week when people normally work.

Common Mistakes

The workweek is very long this week.' (when meaning total hours).
I worked a very long workweek this week.
use sense 1 (HOURS WORKED) when referring to the number of hours.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Workweek and working hours both refer to how much time someone spends on the job over a week, but workweek is a countable noun (a 40-hour workweek) while working hours is typically plural and slightly more formal. Hours alone is the shortest and most informal option ('I put in 50 hours last week'). Work schedule is broader: it includes not just the total time but also when that time falls (e.g., 9-to-5 vs. night shifts). For example: 'My workweek is 35 hours' talks about quantity; 'My work schedule is 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.' talks about timing.

workweek ↗working hourshours ↗work schedule

Common collocations

Nouns

  • workweek hours
  • workweek days

Phrases

  • end of the workweek
  • start of the workweek
  • middle of the workweek

Prepositions

  • during the workweek
  • throughout the workweek

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound formed in English from 'work' (from Old English weorc, meaning physical or mental effort) and 'week' (from Old English wice, meaning a cycle of seven days). The term became common in the late 19th century during labour negotiations over the length of the working week.