workload

American  

[wurk-lohd] / ˈwɜrkˌloʊd /

Or work load

noun

1. the amount of work that a machine, employee, or group of employees can be or is expected to perform.

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workload British  

/ ˈwɜːkˌləʊd /

noun

1. the amount of work to be done, esp in a specified period by a person, machine, etc

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Etymology

Origin of workload

First recorded in 1940–45; work + load

Example Sentences

While A.I.’s selling point is its ability to quickly take care of otherwise-time-consuming tasks, the Harvard Business Review recently found that this feature only ends up intensifying employee workload, not reducing it.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

In the short term, she said it had increased teacher workload rather than cut it because they had still been marking alongside the technology.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

“This demand strength comes from a combination of persistent workload shift to the cloud and the growing consumer and enterprise adoption of AI,” analyst Erik W. Woodring wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Leslie Ann Munoz also points to how AI, touted worldwide as a labor-saving technology, has actually increased the workload in some trades and professions, like lawyering.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

One result of their enormous workload and the frantic hours of practicing nonverbal spells was that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had so far been unable to find time to go and visit Hagrid.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling