workload

noun

work·​load ˈwərk-ˌlōd 

1

: the amount of work or of working time expected or assigned

students with a heavy workload

2

: the amount of work performed or capable of being performed (as by a mechanical device) usually within a specific period

Examples of workload in a Sentence

Students complained about the heavy workload.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adaptive cruise control reduced the workload on long interstate stretches. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 11 Sep. 2026

The team remained hopeful throughout the lengthy rehab process that Nabers would be ready for the opener, and his workload during the preseason was structured to keep him on that timeline. — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

That could become particularly useful when pilots face extreme workloads. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Instead of only asking whether malware was detected, ask whether a user’s behavior changed, a workload is communicating somewhere unusual, large amounts of data are moving unexpectedly or an AI agent is operating outside its intended scope. — Scott Alldridge, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for workload

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad

Kids Definition

workload

noun

work·​load ˈwərk-ˌlōd 

1

: the amount of work or of working time expected or assigned

students with a heavy workload

2

: the amount of work performed or capable of being performed usually within a specific period

a machine's workload