What does nonworking mean?
Nonworking means “not working” and can describe either something that is not functioning or a person who is not engaged in paid employment. Applied to machines, tools, or systems, it indicates an absence of normal operation; applied to people or population statistics, it means being outside paid employment. The word is especially common as an attribute, as in “nonworking day,” “nonworking spouse,” and “nonworking population,” where it identifies a status, period, or category rather than describing an action. It is less formal and less common than the more specific alternatives “broken,” “idle,” or “unemployed” when the reason and context are already clear. The form is generally written as one word, though “non-working” remains an accepted variant. Together with the related noun “work,” it contrasts productive activity or operation with its absence, while leaving open why something or someone is not working.
adjectiveNot working, functioning, or engaged in paid employment.
- Not functioning or operating.
- Not engaged in paid employment.
"The nonworking machine was sent to an engineer for repair."
"Technicians were called in after the nonwashing machine stopped working."
"The survey includes both working and nonworking adults."
Nonworking flips the ordinary idea of work into its opposite without creating a wholly new word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonworking come from?
The word is formed in English by combining the negative prefix non- with the present participle working. The prefix comes through Old French and Latin from a form meaning “not,” while work ultimately derives from Old English weorc, referring to labor, activity, or a product of effort. The compound is a modern formation that expresses negation of the established idea of working, and it has parallels in related Germanic forms based on cognates of work.
How nonworking is actually used
Most often used attributively, especially before nouns such as “day,” “population,” and “spouse.” The closed form “nonworking” is standard, although “non-working” is also widely used. Its meaning depends on context: it may describe a device that is out of order, a person without paid employment, or a period during which work is not normally performed.
Easily confused with nonworking
Unworking is uncommon and can suggest ceasing to work, whereas nonworking normally means either not functioning or not engaged in paid employment.