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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 22 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework

Nglish: Translation of homework for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of homework for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework

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[ hohm -wurk ]

  • schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork ).
  • a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
  • paid work done at home , as piecework.

to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.

/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

  • school work done out of lessons, esp at home
  • any preparatory study
  • work done at home for pay

Word History and Origins

Origin of homework 1

Idioms and Phrases

Example sentences.

Now, they log on to Zoom from their bedrooms, surrounded by unfinished homework assignments and tattered stuffed animals, waiting to be assigned calls, texts and emails by the trained therapists who oversee the program.

Yow started her homework and saw Frese had gone 35-22 with two winning seasons at Ball State, which hadn’t had a winning record in its previous nine seasons.

Do some homework before investing in a diamond, and that lifelong commitment.

Another poster included an image of their losses over what appeared to be online math homework.

As we countdown to Inauguration Day, I've been doing my homework—and looking to the past for inspiration.

“I can help my children with their homework and sometimes we text in English at my job,” Santos says.

Scheunemann, meanwhile, had no idea who Spencer was, and did some homework.

She jumped at the chance to watch RT, or jumped at the chance to skip calculus homework.

And we encourage parent-student “contracts,” for class attendance, homework submission and even extra-curriculum activities.

Adicéam did his homework, spending 50 days collecting pieces, many with unexpected stories behind them.

Much of this homework is done by a very bad light and the boy's eyes suffer much.

For homework we have prepared alphabets where the letters are printed in type-writing order.

His parents were always getting angry with him for losing his clothes, or his toys, or his homework.

Only at the time when he was going to Beauregard School, with his homework.

And once a week or twice a week she was sending her homework or something to him.

Related Words

  • arrangement
  • construction
  • establishment
  • preparedness
  • qualification

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.

Look up a word, learn it forever.

Other forms: homeworks

Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework . Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework " excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age.

High school students typically have a lot of homework most days, and often that's true for younger students as well. In college, an increasing amount of school work is done outside of class, as homework (even if you do it in the library, a cafe, or a dorm). Homework originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s.

  • noun preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) synonyms: prep , preparation see more see less type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

  • acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
  • receive/provide somebody with training
  • develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
  • give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
  • hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
  • moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
  • sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
  • go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
  • be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
  • study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
  • finish/drop out of/quit school
  • graduate from high school/college
  • be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
  • skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
  • cheat on an exam/a test
  • get/be given a detention (for doing something)
  • be expelled from/be suspended from school
  • do your homework/a project on something
  • work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
  • finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
  • hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
  • study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
  • take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
  • grade homework/a test
  • do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
  • pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
  • apply to/get into/go to/start college
  • leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
  • study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
  • major/minor in biology/philosophy
  • earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

  • 2 ( informal ) work that someone does to prepare for something You could tell that he had really done his homework (= found out all he needed to know) .

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home•work

An assignment is a task that someone is given to do, usually as part of their job.

An assignment is also a piece of academic work given to students.

In American English, an assignment is also a piece of work given to students to do at home.

Work given to schoolchildren to do at home is also called homework .

Be Careful! Homework is an uncountable noun. You do not talk about 'homeworks' or 'a homework'. Note that you do not say ' I have made my homework '. You say 'I have done my homework'.

Homework is work that school pupils are given to do at home. You say that pupils do homework. Don't say that they ' make homework '.

Housework is work such as cleaning or washing that is done in a house.

Be Careful! Both homework and housework are uncountable nouns. Don't talk about ' a homework ' or ' houseworks '.

- preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) , , - a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher , , , , , - the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill; "he received no formal education"; "our instruction was carefully programmed"; "good classroom teaching is seldom rewarded"
  • assignability
  • best of all
  • brain-teaser
  • change magnitude
  • concentrate
  • homeshoring
  • homesickness
  • Home-speaking
  • Homestead Act
  • homestead exemption
  • homestead law
  • homesteader
  • homesteading
  • homestretch
  • Homeward bound
  • homeward(s)
  • homeward-bound
  • homework problem
  • homeworking
  • homewrecker
  • homichlophobia
  • homicide bomber
  • Homicide by misadventure
  • homicidomania
  • homiletical
  • homing adaptor
  • homing device
  • homing guidance
  • hometraining
  • Hometronic Internet Module
  • HomeVestors of America, Inc.
  • Homeward Bound
  • Homeward Bound (disambiguation)
  • Homeward Bound Animal Rescue Inc.
  • Homeward Bound Greyhound Association
  • Homeward Bound Theatre Company
  • Homeward Trail Bible Camp
  • homeward-boundly
  • Homewood City Schools
  • Homewood Institutional Review Board
  • Homewood Maitland Safety Association
  • Homewood Musical Instrument Co.
  • Homewood-Flossmoor Swim Club, Inc.
  • Homework Access Line
  • Homework assignment
  • Homework Assistance Hotline
  • Homework Center
  • Homework Diary
  • Homework help
  • Homework hotline
  • Homeworkers
  • Homeworkers Organized for More Employment
  • Homeworkers' Union and Small Business Association
  • Homeworking
  • Homeworld 2
  • Homewrecker
  • Homewrecker (MTV series)
  • Facebook Share

Online Language Dictionaries

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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
home•work      n. [ ] schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom:complaining about too much homework.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
home•work   wûrk′),USA pronunciation n.  schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( ). paid work done at home, as piecework. + work 1675–85
/ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/ n ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): - - - - - - - - - - - - - , , , , , , , , [math, physics, English] homework, a homework assignment, did you finish your homework?,

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  • homework (noun)
  • Please do/finish your homework .
  • She started her algebra homework .
  • The candidate did his homework [=studied the issues] before the debate.
impossible to resist especially because of strength or attractiveness
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homework noun

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What does the noun homework mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun homework . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun homework ?

How is the noun homework pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the noun homework come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader.

homework is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: home n. 1 , work n.

Nearby entries

  • homeward-bounder, n. 1837–
  • homeward-bound pennant, n. 1853–
  • homewardly, adv. 1797–
  • homewards, adv. & adj. Old English–
  • homeware, n. 1782–
  • home waters, n. 1838–
  • home wear, n. 1836–
  • home-whining, n. a1657
  • home wind, n. 1732–
  • home-woe, n. 1838–
  • homework, n. 1653–
  • homework club, n. 1900–
  • homework diary, n. 1973–
  • homeworker, n. 1843–
  • homeworking, n. 1844–
  • home-working, adj. 1850–
  • home worship, n. 1849–
  • homewort, n. Old English–
  • home-wreck, n. 1845–
  • home-wrecker, n. 1878–
  • home-wrecking, n. 1878–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for homework, n..

homework, n. was revised in September 2011.

homework, n. was last modified in June 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

  • further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
  • new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into homework, n. in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

  • Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

  • View homework in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for homework, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for homework, n., browse entry.

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Cambridge Dictionary

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Meaning of do your homework in English

Do your homework.

  • batten down the hatches idiom
  • break someone in
  • bug-out bag
  • build (someone/something) up
  • gear (someone/something) up
  • get/have your ducks in a row idiom
  • gird your self idiom
  • preparation
  • roll up your sleeves idiom
  • set something up
  • set the scene/stage idiom

Translations of do your homework

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homework in english meaning

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COMMENTS

  1. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  2. Homework Definition & Meaning

    The meaning of HOMEWORK is piecework done at home for pay. How to use homework in a sentence. piecework done at home for pay; an assignment given to a student to be completed outside the regular class period…

  3. HOMEWORK Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork).. See examples of HOMEWORK used in a sentence.

  4. homework

    From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Related topics: School homework home‧work / ˈhəʊmwɜːk $ ˈhoʊmwɜːrk / S2 noun [uncountable] 1 SES WORK THAT somebody DOES work that a student at school is asked to do at home → classwork For homework, finish the exercise on page 14. 2 PREPARE if you do your homework, you prepare for an ...

  5. homework noun

    Definition of homework noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... do your homework/ (British English) revision/ a project on something; work on/ write/ do/ submit an essay/ a dissertation/ a thesis/ an assignment/ ...

  6. Homework

    Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework" excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age. ... originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s. ... Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and ...

  7. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  8. homework noun

    1 work that is given by teachers for students to do at home I still haven't done my geography homework. How much homework do you get? I have to write up the notes for homework. compare classwork Topic Collocations Education learning. acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education; receive/provide somebody with training

  9. HOMEWORK definition in American English

    homework in American English. (ˈhoumˌwɜːrk) noun. 1. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork) 2. paid work done at home, as piecework. 3. thorough preparatory study of a subject.

  10. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  11. Homework

    Define homework. homework synonyms, homework pronunciation, homework translation, English dictionary definition of homework. n. 1. Work, such as schoolwork or piecework, that is done at home. 2. Preparatory or preliminary work: did their homework before coming to the meeting....

  12. homework

    homework - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free. ... 'homework' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): assign - assist - bone - classwork - crib - do - get on - loiter - peg - preparation - pump - schoolwork - study hall - task.

  13. homework

    schoolwork that a pupil is required to do at home he always helps his daughter with her homework work or study done in preparation for an event or situation he had evidently done his homework and read his predecessor's reports 2. paid work carried out in one's own home, especially low-paid piecework the growth of homework and of part-time working

  14. Homework Definition & Meaning

    1. : work that a student is given to do at home. Please do/finish your homework. She started her algebra homework. — compare classwork. 2. : research or reading done in order to prepare for something — used in the phrase do your homework. The candidate did his homework [=studied the issues] before the debate.

  15. homework, n. meanings, etymology and more

    The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader. homework is formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: home n.1, work n. See etymology.

  16. Homework

    Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed at home. Common homework assignments may include required reading, ... (2008), both high school English teachers, reported that their homework disrupted their students' extracurricular activities and responsibilities. However, Kiewra et al. (2009) ...

  17. homework

    The meaning of homework. Definition of homework. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.

  18. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  19. Meaning of homework in Essential English Dictionary

    homework definition: work that teachers give students to do at home: . Learn more.

  20. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

    DO YOUR HOMEWORK definition: 1. to study a subject or situation carefully so that you know a lot about it and can deal with it…. Learn more.