Standard Lemma guide

shiftwork

noun · 2 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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Scheduled work outside of customary daylight working hours.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A mode of employment in which sets of workers are rotated to maintain a continuous 24/7 operation, usually, with a system of three eight-hour shifts: first shift, second shift, and third shift.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From shift + work.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: iltatyö — work outside customary working hours
  • Finnish: yötyö — work outside customary working hours
  • Finnish: viikonlopputyö — work outside customary working hours
  • Chinese Mandarin: 輪班工作 /轮班工作 (lúnbān gōngzuò) — rotating mode of work
  • Danish: turnus — rotating mode of work
  • Finnish: vuorotyö — rotating mode of work
  • Finnish: kolmivuorotyö — rotating mode of work
  • French: travail posté — rotating mode of work
  • French: travail par équipes — rotating mode of work
  • French: travail par quarts — rotating mode of work
  • German: Schichtarbeit — rotating mode of work
  • Indonesian: sif — rotating mode of work
  • Japanese: シフト勤務 (shifuto kinmu) — rotating mode of work
  • Japanese: 交代勤務 (kōtai kinmu) — rotating mode of work
  • Māori: mahi tīpako — rotating mode of work
  • Russian: сме́нная рабо́та (sménnaja rabóta) — rotating mode of work
  • Russian: рабо́та по сме́нам (rabóta po sménam) — rotating mode of work
  • Turkish: vardiyalı çalışma — rotating mode of work