underemployed

adjective

un·​der·​em·​ployed ˌən-dər-im-ˈplȯid How to pronounce underemployed (audio)
: having less than full-time, regular, or adequate employment

Examples of underemployed 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.
As underemployed Hollywood workers have increasingly turned to these microdramas in the absence of traditional entertainment opportunities, unions have begun to take notice of the space. Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025 Lower-income Americans may be unemployed or underemployed, therefore lacking access to comprehensive health care coverage. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025 More than half of college graduates start their careers underemployed, and nearly half are still underemployed a decade later. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Sep. 2025 This rate remains high, with about 45% still underemployed after a decade. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for underemployed

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of underemployed was in 1908

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underemployed. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on underemployed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!