part-time

part-time — adverb

1. in a way that fills only some hours of a normal working day or week, leaving fre

1.adverbB1
Definition

in a way that fills only some hours of a normal working day or week, leaving free time for other activities such as study or family.

Example

Maya works part-time at a small bakery near her university.

work + part-time at [place]

After her son was born, Lina decided to teach part-time.

decide + to-infinitive + part-time

Common collocations
  • work part-time
  • study part-time
  • teach part-time
  • train part-time
Synonyms
  • casually

    suggests irregular shifts rather than fixed reduced hours

  • on the side

    informal; means in addition to a main job

Antonyms
  • full-time

    for the standard whole working day or week

Grammar Patterns

work + part-time

study + part-time

Usage Note

Modifies action verbs like work, study, teach, train. Often paired with a clause giving a reason (after a baby, while studying, due to illness) that explains why full hours are not possible.

Common Mistakes

I am part-time at the cafe.
I work part-time at the cafe.
as an adverb, part-time needs an action verb; without 'work' or similar, use the adjective form ('I am a part-time worker').
She works in part-time.
She works part-time.
no preposition before the adverb.

part-time — adjective

part-time — adjective / adverb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe work that is not a standard full-time post, but they differ in what kind of arrangement they suggest. 'Part-time' is the most neutral and most common: it points only to reduced regular hours, with the role itself usually stable (a part-time librarian still has the same job week after week). 'Casual' suggests irregular shifts called as needed, with little guaranteed income — common for retail and hospitality. 'Freelance' implies self-employment: the worker contracts their services to one or more clients and is not on any company's payroll. 'Temporary' focuses on duration: the role ends after a known period, regardless of hours. So a part-time librarian works fewer hours but stays on; a casual waiter is on call; a freelance designer chooses their projects; a temporary cashier covers the holiday rush.

part-time ↗casual ↗freelance ↗temporary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • part-time job
  • part-time work
  • part-time worker
  • part-time staff
  • part-time student
  • part-time course
  • part-time degree

Phrases

  • a part-time basis
  • on a part-time basis
  • switch to part-time
  • go part-time

Prepositions

  • work part-time at [place]
  • study part-time at [institution]

Etymology

English

First recorded in English in the late 19th century as a compound of 'part' (a portion of something) and 'time' (hours), originally used to describe schooling that filled only part of the day. The hyphenated written form became standard in the 20th century as both an adjective and an adverb, spreading from education into employment as factories, offices, and universities began offering reduced-hours arrangements.