downtime
Americannoun
-
a time during a regular working period when an employee is not actively productive.
-
an interval during which a machine is not productive, as during repair, malfunction, maintenance.
noun
-
commerce time during which a machine or plant is not working because it is incapable of production, as when under repair: the term is sometimes used to include all nonproductive time Compare idle time
-
informal time spent not working; spare time
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of downtime
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even if infrastructure was developed, the time it takes to charge an electric tractor is too long for most farmers who can’t have downtime during busy seasons.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
Chronic fatigue has become increasingly common in modern life as people juggle heavier workloads and less downtime.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
False alarms would result in unnecessary downtime, while the machine is reset.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
That translates to almost 80 hours of downtime a year.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Krogh was hoping to have some downtime that afternoon, but John Ehrlichman’s secretary found him and told him Ehrlichman wanted to see him as soon as was convenient.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
