day job

noun

: one's regular employment as contrasted with an occasional, secondary, or coveted job

Examples of day job 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.
Jane Bargmann, global managing partner of private equity, industrial and life sciences at H&S noted a growing trend of leaders ditching their day jobs for a full-time board career. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Many of the Muslim donors hold senior leadership positions at various Muslim advocacy organizations, but list their day jobs in tech and finance as their sole occupation on the campaign contribution forms. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026 Their day jobs are with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), a specialized force tasked with guarding the peaks and passes of India’s 2,167-mile (3,488-kilometer) long Himalayan border with China. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 Grappling with how the world has molded you, and how that manifests in life, in love, and in your day job, can be an awkward process. — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for day job

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of day job was in 1971

Rhymes for day job

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Browse Nearby Words

day jessamine
day job
day labor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Day job.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/day%20job. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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