payday

payday — noun

1. the regular day when someone gets money for the work they have done

1.nounB1
Definition

the regular day when someone gets money for the work they have done

Example

Our office payday is the last Friday of each month.

pattern: payday is + time expression

Mina checks her bank app every payday before buying groceries.

collocation: every payday

Common collocations
  • on payday
  • before payday
  • after payday
  • every payday
  • next payday
Synonyms
  • pay day

    The same meaning, but written as two words.

  • salary day

    Used when talking specifically about salaried workers.

  • wage day

    A less common phrase, often linked to wages rather than salary.

Usage Note

Often used with on, before, after, until, every, and next. It usually points to a regular date in a pay schedule, not to the amount of money someone receives.

Common Mistakes

My payday is 3,000 dollars.
My pay is 3,000 dollars.
'payday' names the date, not the amount.
I get payday on Friday.
I get paid on Friday.
'payday' is a noun for the day, not a verb phrase.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Payday is the normal everyday word for the date when workers receive money. Pay day is simply a two-word spelling of the same term. Salary day is narrower, because it usually suggests office workers or other people on a salary. Wage day is less common and can sound older or more tied to hourly or manual work. Pay period is different: it means the block of time covered by one payment, not the date itself. For example, you can say Friday is payday, but you would say this pay period ends on Friday.

pay daysalary daywage daypay period

Common collocations

Nouns

  • monthly payday
  • Friday payday

Phrases

  • every payday
  • next payday
  • wait until payday

Prepositions

  • on payday
  • before payday
  • after payday
  • until payday

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Payday is a clear compound made from pay and day. The pay part entered English through French from a Latin root linked with settling a debt. Day is an old native English word. Put together, payday simply names the day when wages or salary are given.