hourly

1 of 2

adverb

hour·​ly ˈau̇(-ə)r-lē 

: at or during every hour

also : frequently, continually

hourly

2 of 2

adjective

1

a

: occurring hour by hour

hourly bus service

b

: frequent, continual

in hourly expectation of the rain's stopping

2

: computed in terms of an hour

an hourly wage

3

: paid by the hour

hourly workers

Synonyms

Adverb

• again and again
• constantly
• continually
• frequently
• much
• oft
• often
• oftentimes
• ofttimes
• over and over
• repeatedly

Examples of hourly in a Sentence

Adverb

she checks her phone for messages hourly

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Voters will decide in November whether to increase the rate gradually to $18 an hour by 2026, which would be the highest statewide minimum wage in the U.S. Fast food workers in California now have to be paid at least $20 hourly under a law Newsom signed last year. —Ani Freedman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024

Workers are paid hourly, so faster line speeds allow the company to process the same amount of meat at a lower cost. —Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024

Adjective

One study found that Obama's Secure Communities program, which deported nearly half a million undocumented immigrants, not only pulled those immigrants from the workforce but had a ripple effect of decreasing the employment and hourly wages of U.S.-born people as well. —Julia Ingram, CBS News, 17 Oct. 2024

The law will increase workers’ pay over the next decade, with the $25 hourly rate kicking in sooner for some than others. —Ani Freedman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

hourly

adjective

hour·​ly

ˈau̇(ə)r-lē

1

: occurring every hour

hourly bus service

2

: figured in terms of one hour

hourly wages

hourly adverb