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.
Stephenson left the talk disappointed in Donalds’ seeming lack of interest in his day job. Kirby Wilson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025 Fun fact: The fashionable Norwegian also works as a geriatric nurse as her day job. Madeline Dangmann, Glamour, 7 Aug. 2025 After finishing her schooling, Laine worked in a variety of day jobs, although her passion for performing never wavered. George Varga, Mercury News, 28 July 2025 Hubbard, a 30-year-old husband and father living in Dallas, Texas, grew his TikTok account to close to 1 million followers by posting daily videos about the mundane routine of his nine-to-five day job as a senior analyst for a Fortune 500 company. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025 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 19 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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