Job: meaning, definitions and examples

Refers to a specific task or role that someone does regularly for payment. Common in everyday conversation and can refer to any type of work, whether part-time, full-time, temporary, or permanent.

• She got a new job at the local coffee shop.
• I'm looking for a job in marketing.

More formal than 'job' and typically refers to someone's main work or profession, particularly in contexts like forms, surveys, or official documents.

• Please state your occupation on the application form.
• Her occupation as a teacher is very fulfilling.

Refers specifically to a type of job that requires special education, training, or qualifications. Often associated with jobs such as doctors, lawyers, and engineers.

• Law is a highly respected profession.
• He has been in the medical profession for over twenty years.

Generally used in a more formal context to refer to the state of having paid work. Often used in legal, economic, or policy discussions.

• The government is working on policies to increase employment rates.
• His employment at the company lasted five years.

Refers to a person's regular employment or occupation. It can also mean a specific task or duty.

• She loves her job as a teacher.
• His job is to ensure all the machines are operating correctly.

Usually signifies a specific piece of work or duty that is part of a larger job or project. It can be used in various settings.

• One of my daily tasks is to check emails.
• She had a difficult task to complete before the deadline.

Usually used in an academic or professional setting to refer to a specific task or piece of work given to someone.

• The professor gave us a difficult assignment to complete over the weekend.
• Her assignment is to prepare the budget report.

Refers to a larger, often collaborative endeavor with a specific goal that spans a period of time. Common in academic and work environments.

• They are working on a new project to improve the city's schools.
• Our team has started a project to redesign the website.

Refers to a specific position or task someone is employed to do and often implies regular payment.

• He got a job as a teacher
• She loves her job at the company

A general term for activities involving mental or physical effort done to achieve a purpose or result; can refer to employment but also broader activities.

• She started her work early in the morning
• His work involves a lot of travel

Refers to hard physical work, often used in formal or technical contexts, including economic discussions.

• The labor of factory workers is essential to production
• Manual labor can be very tiring

Denotes hard and continuous work, especially of a physical nature. It often has a connotation of hardship and struggle.

• They toiled in the fields from dawn till dusk
• The miners' toil was arduous and exhausting