nonworking

adjective

non·​work·​ing ˌnän-ˈwər-kiŋ 

variants or less commonly non-working

: not working:

a

: not employed : not having a paying job

Of nonworking mothers who have preschool children, more than a quarter say they would seek paying jobs if reasonably priced child care were available.

—Joshua Mendes

b

: not of, relating to, or involving work

nonworking hours/days

a nonworking trip

c

: not functioning

a nonworking lamp

To get there, I have to negotiate intersections with nonworking traffic signals.

—Laurie Hertzel

Examples of nonworking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of those projects, including restoring nonworking fountains, have been welcomed by District residents. — Joe Heim, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026

The city Office of Emergency Management warned drivers and pedestrians to use extra caution at intersections with nonworking traffic signals. — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026

Prince Harry, who returned to the United Kingdom last month but remains a nonworking member of the royal family, was also photographed for the first time since his return, at a charitable function Thursday. — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2026

According to a report by The New York Times, the White House has drafted a plan to allow nonworking married parents to collect payments from the federal Child Care and Development Fund. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonworking

• hardworking
• networking
• reworking
• woodworking
• clerking
• jerking
• lurking
• shirking
• smirking
• working
• interworking
• metalworking