day job

noun

: one's regular employment as contrasted with an occasional, secondary, or coveted job

Examples of day job in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last summer Wills transferred her day job to Chicago, one of America’s premier comedy cities, primarily to grow as a comic. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026 Some were even able to quit their day jobs and become influencers. Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 Her fortunes soon changed after a fateful run-in with the Wayans brothers at her day job. Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 23 June 2026 Before helping lead Cape Verde to international awareness, Lopes was balancing a career in soccer with a day job at a bank in Dublin. Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for day job

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of day job was in 1971

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Cite this Entry

“Day job.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/day%20job. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

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