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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework

Nglish: Translation of homework for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of homework for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework

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/ˌhoʊmˈwʌrk/.

Other forms: homeworks

Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework . Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework " excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age.

High school students typically have a lot of homework most days, and often that's true for younger students as well. In college, an increasing amount of school work is done outside of class, as homework (even if you do it in the library, a cafe, or a dorm). Homework originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s.

  • noun preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) synonyms: prep , preparation see more see less type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

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  • 1.1 Etymology
  • 1.2 Pronunciation
  • 1.3.1 Usage notes
  • 1.3.2 Hypernyms
  • 1.3.3 Coordinate terms
  • 1.3.4 Derived terms
  • 1.3.5 Translations
  • 1.4 See also
  • 1.5 References
  • 1.6 Anagrams

From home +‎ work .

Pronunciation

  • ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/
  • ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/
Audio ( ): ( )

homework ( usually uncountable , plural homeworks )

  • 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby , “Finland's education ambassador spreads the word”, in The Guardian ‎ [1] , archived from the original on 2022-10-15 : Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
  • 2023 January 12, Kevin Roose, “Don't Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.”, in The New York Times ‎ [2] , archived from the original on 2023-01-17 : And I'm sympathetic to teachers who feel that they have enough to worry about, without adding A.I.-generated homework to the mix.
  • 2024 May 15, 'Industry Insider', “Labour's plan for the railway”, in RAIL , number 1009 , page 68 : Under the proposals, an assurance is given that GBR (in the words of the plan) will not be marking its own homework .
  • 2012 April 10, John Hudson, “North Korea Has a Clumsy Way of Soothing Concerns About Its Rocket Launch”, in The Atlantic ‎ [3] , archived from the original on 2022-01-22 : Since the whole world is watching this launch, they probably should've done some homework on their talking points.
  • 2017 May 9, “Mindful sex is better sex, says B.C. researcher promoting new workbook”, in CBC News ‎ [4] , archived from the original on 2022-11-22 : Four years after her first sexual health book came out, Dr. Lori Brotto is giving her readers a little bit of homework for the bedroom.
  • 2022 July 18, Donald Mcrae , quoting Michael Yormark, “Roc Nation's Michael Yormark on Romelu Lukaku: 'You have to play to his strengths... I don't think that happened'”, in The Guardian ‎ [5] , archived from the original on 2022-12-26 : I didn't even know who he was until I did my homework and realised he was a premier footballer for Bayern.
  • 2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack , “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian ‎ [6] : Nigeria had done their homework and were well organised. Halimatu Ayinde was exceptional in her marking of James, who had scored twice and provided three assists as she ran the show against China.
  • 1989 , Eileen Boris, Cynthia R. Daniels, Homework: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Paid Labor at Home , University of Illinois Press , →ISBN , page 241 : Hatch perceived homework to be one tool—along with various workfare schemes and private sector training programs—that would take women off welfare and make poor women "independent."
  • 1933 , James T. Farrell , Gas-House McGinty , page 186 : My wife and I want a kid, and we do plenty of homework , but goddamn it, Dutch, I just can't connect.
  • ( BDSM ) Tasks assigned by a dominant for a submissive to perform when they are physically away from their dominant or otherwise free.

Usage notes

  • ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) The term homework generally implies that the work is mandatory and worth marks; exercises that are optional are usually referred to as practice problems , review problems , extra practice , exercises , etc.
  • ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) Work of a larger scale than homework (which involves a series of relatively simple exercises) is usually referred to as an assignment or project .

Coordinate terms

Derived terms.

  • bit of homework
  • do one's homework
  • homework club
  • homework diary
  • piece of homework
  • the dog ate my homework

Translations

      (wājib),   (wājib manziliyy) (wājib) (tnayin ašxatankʻ),   (das) (öygə eş)   (xátnjaje zadánnje),   (xátnjaja práca)   (domášna rábota)   (imca)       (gung fo )   (zuòyè),   (jiātíng zuòyè),   (gōngkè)       ,     ,     ,           ,           (sašinao davaleba)       (ergasía gia to spíti) ,   (gŕhakārya)           ,         (しゅくだい, shukudai) (üi tapsyrmasy)   (sukje) (üy tapşırması) (wīak bān)         (domašna rabota),   (domašna zadača) , (geriin daalgavar)   or ,   or   (mašq), (kâr dar xâne), (taklif-e madrese), (kâr-e xânagi) (Dari)     ,       , , ,           (domášneje zadánije),     (domášnjaja rabóta),     (domáška) (colloquial)     ,     ,   ,           (Argentina, Spain, Uruguay),     (Latin America)     ,     ,     (vazifa-yi xonagi), (kor-i xonagi)   (gaan-bâan)   ,   (domášnje zavdánnja),   (domášnja robóta)   (sabaq) (tapshuruq) ,   ,     (heymarbet)
    (yánjiū), (zhǔnbèi gōngzuò)       ,             (podgotovítelʹnaja rabóta),     (isslédovanije)        

homework oxford dictionary meaning

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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
home•work      n. [ ] schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom:complaining about too much homework.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
home•work   wûrk′),USA pronunciation n.  schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( ). paid work done at home, as piecework. + work 1675–85
/ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/ n ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): - - - - - - - - - - - - - , , , , , , , , [math, physics, English] homework, a homework assignment, did you finish your homework?,

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Definition of homeworker noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

  • Few homeworkers doing piecework in manufacturing enjoy employee status.

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  6. Oxford Children's Colour Dictionary for homework help

    homework oxford dictionary meaning

COMMENTS

  1. homework noun

    The homework assignments are worth 10% of the final grade. I have some homework to do on the Civil War. I want you to hand in this homework on Friday. The science teacher always gives a lot of homework. They get a lot of homework in English. They get masses of homework at secondary school. We had to write out one of the exercises for homework.

  2. homework, n. meanings, etymology and more

    The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader. homework is formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: home n.1, work n. See etymology.

  3. homework noun

    The Oxford Learner's Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary app 2 ( informal ) work that someone does to prepare for something You could tell that he had really done his homework (= found out all he needed to know) .

  4. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  5. Homework Definition & Meaning

    How to use homework in a sentence. piecework done at home for pay; an assignment given to a student to be completed outside the regular class period… See the full definition

  6. HOMEWORK Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork).. See examples of HOMEWORK used in a sentence.

  7. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

    The largest and most trusted free online dictionary for learners of British and American English with definitions, pictures, example sentences, synonyms, antonyms, word origins, audio pronunciation, and more. Look up the meanings of words, abbreviations, phrases, and idioms in our free English Dictionary.

  8. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  9. Homework

    homework: 1 n preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) Synonyms: prep , preparation Type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

  10. HOMEWORK definition and meaning

    3 meanings: 1. school work done out of lessons, esp at home 2. any preparatory study 3. work done at home for pay.... Click for more definitions.

  11. Oxford English Dictionary

    Oxford English Dictionary. The historical English dictionary. An unsurpassed guide for researchers in any discipline to the meaning, history, and usage of over 500,000 words and phrases across the English-speaking world. Find out more about OED ... Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's ...

  12. homework

    homework (usually uncountable, plural homeworks) Exercises assigned by a teacher to a student which review concepts studied in class . You must do your homework before you can watch television. 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby, "Finland's education ambassador spreads the word", in The Guardian ‎ [1], archived from the original on 2022-10-15: Even ...

  13. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  14. homework

    What is the meaning of "homework"? en. volume_up. homework. chevron_left. Translations Definition Synonyms Pronunciation Examples Translator Phrasebook open_in_new. chevron_right. English definitions powered by Oxford Languages . homework. volume_up. UK /ˈhəʊmwəːk/ noun (mass noun) 1. schoolwork that a ...

  15. HOMEWORK Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: . See examples of HOMEWORK used in a sentence.

  16. homework

    The meaning of homework. Definition of homework. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.

  17. homework

    homework - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free. ... 'homework' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): assign - assist - bone - classwork - crib - do - get on - loiter - peg - preparation - pump - schoolwork - study hall - task.

  18. The Pros and Cons of Homework

    Homework also helps students develop key skills that they'll use throughout their lives: Accountability. Autonomy. Discipline. Time management. Self-direction. Critical thinking. Independent problem-solving. The skills learned in homework can then be applied to other subjects and practical situations in students' daily lives.

  19. homeworker

    Definition of homeworker noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  20. Homework Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: Work, such as schoolwork or piecework, that is done at home.

  21. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  22. Cambridge English Dictionary: Meanings & Definitions

    The most popular dictionary and thesaurus. Meanings & definitions of words in English with examples, synonyms, pronunciations and translations.

  23. Homework Definition Oxford

    Homework Definition Oxford - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free.