downtime

noun

down·​time ˈdau̇n-ˌtīm How to pronounce downtime (audio)
1
: time during which production is stopped especially during setup for an operation or when making repairs
2
: inactive time (such as time between periods of work)
napping during our downtime
an injured athlete facing months of downtime

Examples of downtime in a Sentence

After a busy day at work, I look forward to some downtime at home. The kids napped during their downtime. We need to minimize network downtime.
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.
Things got better for Deschanel from then on with the help of Hanson, who made sure to get her a bigger trailer for more privacy, and more downtime to work on lines. EW.com, 12 July 2025 Still, several weeks of downtime is unusual for a factory that makes GM’s most popular models. Mike Colias, Freep.com, 11 July 2025 This kind of downtime is rare for both of them, and it’s really allowed their bond to deepen. Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 11 July 2025 That risk becomes clear in scenarios where seemingly reasonable prompts lead to harmful autonomous decisions, such as: • An operations agent prematurely pushes configuration changes to production, causing system downtime and disrupting critical services. Keren Katz, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for downtime

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downtime was in 1928

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Cite this Entry

“Downtime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downtime. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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