Standard Lemma guide

layoff

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L EY1 AO2 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A dismissal of employees from their jobs because of tightened budgetary constraints or work shortage (not due to poor performance or misconduct).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A period of time when someone is unavailable for work.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A short pass that has been rolled in front of another player for them to kick.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A bet that is laid off, i.e. placed with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of laying off an employee or a work force

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: closure, closedown, closing, shutdown

History

Etymology

Deverbal from lay off.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: կրճատում (krčatum) — dismissal of employees
  • Bulgarian: съкращение (sǎkraštenie) — dismissal of employees
  • Catalan: acomiadament — dismissal of employees
  • Chinese: 裁員 /裁员 (cáiyuán) — dismissal of employees
  • Danish: fyring — dismissal of employees
  • Danish: afskedigelse — dismissal of employees
  • Danish: fyringsrunde — dismissal of employees
  • Finnish: irtisanominen — dismissal of employees
  • Finnish: lomautus — dismissal of employees
  • French: chômage technique — dismissal of employees
  • French: licenciement économique — dismissal of employees
  • German: Stellenabbau — dismissal of employees
  • German: Personalabbau — dismissal of employees
  • German: Entlassung — dismissal of employees
  • German: Kündigung — dismissal of employees
  • German: Arbeitsunterbrechung — dismissal of employees
  • Greek: προσωρινή απόλυση (prosoriní apólysi) — dismissal of employees
  • Hungarian: leépítés — dismissal of employees
  • Hungarian: létszámleépítés — dismissal of employees
  • Interlingua: disopero — dismissal of employees
  • Italian: esubero — dismissal of employees
  • Korean: 일시 해고 (ilsi haego) — dismissal of employees
  • Polish: zwolnienie — dismissal of employees
  • Russian: увольне́ние (uvolʹnénije) — dismissal of employees
  • Russian: сокраще́ние (downsizing) — dismissal of employees
  • Spanish: despido — dismissal of employees
  • Spanish: recorte de personal — dismissal of employees
  • Spanish: reducción del plantel — dismissal of employees
  • Swedish: uppsägning — dismissal of employees
  • Ukrainian: скорочення (skoročennja) — dismissal of employees
  • Ukrainian: звільнення (zvilʹnennja) — dismissal of employees