make-work

[ meyk-wurk ]

noun

1. work, usually of little importance, created to keep a person from being idle or unemployed.

make-work

1. Publicly provided employment that is designed primarily to relieve unemployment and only incidentally to accomplish important tasks. If private employers are hiring few people because of a business slump, the government can “make work” for people to do.

Word History and Origins

Origin of make-work¹

1935–40, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase make work

Example Sentences

He said he spent his time doing “Mickey Mouse make-work,” digging though old records for long-abandoned well sites.

From The Daily Beast

Even in art school, teachers have to struggle to get fully dedicated students to make work that reads as something for our time.

From The Daily Beast

Then dig into your coffers and cough up the required cash to make work more efficient and, yes, fun.

From The Daily Beast

It seems as if everything on the place was devised to make work as hard, unhandy, and wrong-end-to as possible.'

From Project Gutenberg

The true way to make work for to-morrow is to do as much as one can to-day.

From Project Gutenberg

"Dear me, Miss Salome, pray don't make work like that," said Stevens.

From Project Gutenberg

"Well, whoever it was managed to move about enough to make work for me to clear up," Mrs. Seaford said.

From Project Gutenberg

The danger, however, is that the use of form letters tends to make work mechanical.

From Project Gutenberg