workload

workload — noun

1. the total number of tasks, projects, or duties that a person, team, or system mu

1.nounB2
Definition

the total number of tasks, projects, or duties that a person, team, or system must complete within a given period — for example, a teacher grading fifty essays in one weekend, or a server processing thousands of requests per minute.

Example

Chidi's workload increased sharply after two of his teammates left for other jobs.

collocation: workload + increase / increased

The new scheduling software helped reduce the nursing team's evening workload by nearly a third.

collocation: reduce + workload

Common collocations
  • heavy workload
  • light workload
  • increased workload
  • manageable workload
  • reduce someone's workload
  • balance the workload
  • share the workload
  • handle a workload
  • cope with a workload
  • an impossible workload
Synonyms
  • work

    more general term; workload specifies the quantity or pressure

  • burden

    has a negative connotation of strain or difficulty

  • volume

    focuses on the quantity dimension without the human-pressure nuance

  • caseload

    used specifically for social workers, lawyers, or medical professionals

Grammar Patterns

adjective + workload (heavy / light / manageable)

workload + verb (increase / decrease / grow)

verb + workload (manage / balance / reduce / handle)

Usage Note

Frequently paired with adjectives describing size (heavy, light, manageable, impossible) and verbs describing change (increase, reduce, balance, share, handle). In everyday English, workload is usually singular even when referring to multiple people's tasks (the team's workload, NOT the team's workloads).

Common Mistakes

I have many workloads this week.
I have a heavy workload this week.
Workload is usually treated as singular or uncountable; describe its size rather than counting it.
The workload of works is too much.
The workload is too heavy.
Do not add 'of works' after workload; the word already refers to the amount of work.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Workload refers specifically to the quantity of tasks a person or system must handle within a given time, often carrying an implicit sense of pressure. Work is the broadest term and can refer to any activity involving effort (I have work to do vs. I have a heavy workload). Burden adds a strong emotional or physical strain — a workload can feel like a burden when it is unfair or excessive. Volume is a neutral, numbers-focused synonym often used in logistics or data processing (transaction volume, call volume). Caseload is a narrow term used for professionals such as social workers, lawyers, or therapists who manage individual cases. Compare: The lawyer's workload includes court appearances and paperwork (general tasks) vs. The lawyer's caseload dropped from thirty to fifteen clients (specific number of cases).

work ↗burden ↗volume ↗caseload

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a heavy workload
  • a light workload
  • a manageable workload
  • a growing workload
  • a reduced workload

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Workload is a compound of work (from Old English weorc, meaning activity involving effort) and load (from Old English lād, meaning a burden or an amount carried). The word first appeared in the early to mid-20th century, as the concept of measuring and managing people's tasks became common in offices, factories, and later in computing.