full-time

full-time — noun

1. the moment when a sports match, especially in football, is officially stopped by

1.nounB1
Definition

the moment when a sports match, especially in football, is officially stopped by the referee because the allocated playing time has run out.

Example

The referee blew his whistle to signal full-time at the end of the match.

signal full-time — collocation for ending a match

With the score at 3–1, full-time brought an end to a thrilling cup final.

preposition: at full-time with score

Common collocations
  • full-time whistle
  • blow for full-time
  • at full-time
  • signal full-time
  • call full-time
Synonyms
  • final whistle

    informal, strongly associated with the referee's action rather than the moment itself

  • end of play

    more formal; used in written reports and rulebooks

  • end of regulation

    American English equivalent, used in basketball and American football

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

at full-time

signal full-time

Usage Note

Commonly used in British sports commentary and reporting. In American English, the equivalent term is 'end of regulation' or simply 'the end of the game'.

Common Mistakes

The match ended at full-time whistle.
The referee blew the full-time whistle.
'full-time whistle' is the sound the referee makes; 'full-time' alone is the moment the match ends.
Idioms

full-time whistle

idiom

the whistle blown by the referee to signal that the match has ended; by extension, the moment the match finishes.

The crowd roared as the full-time whistle went and their team had won the championship.

full-time — adjective

full-time — phrase

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Full-time and part-time are opposites on a scale of working hours — full-time typically means 35–40 hours per week, while part-time means fewer. Nine-to-five is an informal term for a standard full-time office schedule with fixed hours, but it cannot describe students, factory work, or shift-based jobs. Permanent refers to the duration of employment (no fixed end date), not the number of hours — a permanent job can be part-time or full-time. For example: 'She found a permanent full-time position at the law firm' combines both concepts, whereas 'He works nine-to-five at a magazine' only describes the schedule, not the job security.

full-time ↗part-time ↗nine-to-fivepermanent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • work full-time
  • study full-time
  • go full-time
  • full-time equivalent

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed by combining the Old English words 'full' (complete, entire) and 'tīma' (a period of time). The compound adjective emerged in the late 19th century to describe workers employed for the whole working day, as opposed to part-time workers. Its use spread to education in the mid-20th century and later to figurative descriptions of demanding activities.