full timen.adv.adj.
/ˌfʊl ˈtʌɪm/, U.S. /ˈˌfʊl ˈtaɪm/ A. n.
1. The total number of hours normally allotted to daily or weekly work, etc.; all of a person's available time.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > work > times or periods of work > [noun] > full- or part-time
full time1821
short time1848
half-time1861
part-work1917
1821 Injustice at Union Hall, Southwark, 1820 6 The above gentlemen were amply paid for their laborious attendance of from ten till three (even now the full time is seldom given).
1834 Factories Inq. Comm.: Suppl. Rep. Employm. Children in Factories ii. C.1. 340 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 167) XX. 1 In case of accidents, we pay our workpeople for full time.
1865 Daily Tel. 3 Nov. 5/5 Now a half-timer will get more than he once did for full time.
1911 Rep. Labour & Social Conditions in Germany (Tariff Reform League) III. 97 Full time is worked all the year round.
1970 Chicago Tribune 5 Feb. 5/1 In the newly created post, Bukro will devote full time to coverage of environmental problems facing the nation.
2007 P. Smiley Short Change x. 110 ‘I can't do full time,’ I said, ‘but I'll give you as many hours as I can squeeze out of my schedule.’
2. Sport. The end of a game, esp. a rugby or football match; the end of the normal period of play, which in certain competitions may be followed by extra time if the scores are level. Cf. no side n.; also half-time n. 2b, extra time n. at extra adj., adv., and n. Additions.
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society > leisure > sport > match or competition > [noun] > game or definite spell of play > end of
time1840
full time1871
half-time1871
quarter time1894
1871 Bell's Life in London 2 Dec. 12/5 It was not until within five minutes of full time being announced ere a goal was effected.
1892 Bathurst (New S. Wales) Free Press & Mining Jrnl. 5 Sept. A scrum followed and the whistle sounded full time—no scores having been made on either side.
1920 N.Y. Tribune 5 Jan. 12/1 At full time the teams were on even terms and, without delay, a start was made on the extra periods.
1966 Rugby League Football (‘Know the Game’ Ser.) (ed. 5) 12 The referee blows his whistle to indicate half-time or full-time (‘no side’).
1999 N. Varley Parklife (2000) 8 Television cameras..captured a twenty-five-minute pitch invasion, two smaller ones during the game and then a final one..at full-time.
2011 K. Crowe Whistle up Storm 104 At half-time they led 2-1 and at full-time 5-2.
B. adv.
For the customary full number of working hours; (more generally) so as to make use of or take up all of the time available. Cf. whole-time adv. and adj. (a) at whole adj., n., and adv. Compounds 1b.
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society > occupation and work > work > times or periods of work > [adverb] > full-time
full time1825
1825 Edinb. Advertiser 19 Aug. 526/2 The colliers..were perfectly able, if they chose to work full time, to make 6s 3d. a–day.
1873 Huddersfield Daily Chron. 23 Dec. 3/5 Last winter the mills ran full time in the expectation of a large spring trade, but their expectations were not realised, and the large super-stock of which we have spoken was the result.
1948 Life June 94/2 During this time he also played some semipro baseball and briefly entertained the idea of taking up the game fulltime.
1969 Jrnl. Inst. Navigation 22 483 There exists a requirement for complete back-up capability which can only be provided by a qualified crew member working full time in the oceanic area.
2014 Atlantic Jan. 69/1 He enrolled in an immersion writing course, which he passed while working full-time at a Top Tomato Super Store.
C. adj. (chiefly attributive).
1. Of a job, activity, etc.: occupying all the time available; requiring full attention or effort, to the exclusion of other activity. Of a person: engaged in or required to carry out such an activity.
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society > occupation and work > work > times or periods of work > [adjective] > full- or part-time
full time1834
full-timed1853
part-time1856
all-time1930
1834 Factories Inspectors: Rep. 12 in Parl. Papers (H. C. 596) XLIII. 421 None were allowed to get full time employment between 12 and 16 years of age, without previously producing a certificate of their being able to read and write.
1898 Daily News 13 Dec. 5/7 The half-time system..does irretrievable hurt to the full-time scholars as well.
1921 Act 11 & 12 Geo. V c. 51 §77 (2) Any young person..shown..to be under suitable and efficient full-time instruction.
1955 Times 15 July 9/6 But though the universities will probably be able to satisfy most of the demand for full-time degree-courses they will certainly not be able to supply industry with all the technologists it requires.
1959 Manch. Guardian 6 Aug. 3/5 Mr. Wesker will become a full-time professional writer.
1968 Time 17 May 66 The Institute..now employs 575 full-time civilian analysts.
1971 Engineering Apr. 55/2 It is the full-time business of these agencies.
1980 J. Robinette Get Bill Shakespeare off Stage! ii. 67 This job and these kids are pretty full-time for me now.
2007 Business Rev. Weekly 24 May 57/1 Five decades ago, almost all work was full time.
2015 Daily Tel. 27 Mar. 10/1 Mr Cameron said that the Government had banned ‘exclusive’ zero-hours contracts that bar people from taking full-time work.
2. Of or relating to full-time employment.
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1842 Population Stockport: Copy Evid.& Rep. 127 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 158) XXXV. 158 The full time wages paid weekly in the year 1831, if the mill was then erected and in full action.
1890 City Year-bk. New Haven 1889 140 It has been customary in preparing the estimated pay-roll to ask for $2,500 or $3,000 less than would be necessary for a full time pay-roll.
1927 A. L. Bowley & J. C. Stamp National Income 1924 31 The general average increase in weekly full-time wages.
1972 N.Y. Mag. 3 Jan. 57/1 A staff of professional directors, cameramen, makeup and lighting personnel and editors are under full-time contract to Utopia.
1995 Today's Parent Aug. 28/3 The growing number of people who cobble together full-time wages from two or three part-time jobs.
2011 Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) (Nexis) 2 Sept. The full-time clause is contentious because, as one struggle veteran said: ‘We were not working nine-to-five jobs.’
Compounds
attributive in sense A. 2, as full-time score, full-time whistle, etc.
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1888 York Herald 4 Jan. 8/6 The full time whistle blew with the Wanderers declared the winners by three to one.
1928 Manch. Guardian 9 Aug. 4/4 Water polo... The half-time score was 2–0 in favour of Hungary, and the full time score 2–2.
1945 Hartford (Connecticut) Courant 22 Nov. 20/2 In the preliminary the North End Endees defeated the Royal Typewriter, 39-35, after five minutes of overtime. Full time score was 31-31.
1971 Canberra Times 15 June 16/4 The full-time hooter sounded seconds before a Belconnen player..kicked what would have been his team's only goal of the match.
2002 Mirror 18 Mar. (‘Mania’ section) 17/7 With 8 Full-time score-draws, the dividend forecast is Very Good.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adv.adj.1821