layoff
(also lay-off) /ˈleɪɒf/ noun [C] HRDefinition
› the act of ending a worker's job, sometimes temporarily, usually because there is not enough work to do: Workers have been warned to expect further layoffs. Layoff notices are expected when business slows after Christmas.
› a period when someone is not working because their job ended or they were forced to leave it: long/short/temporary layoff A long layoff can help a budget but it can make workers less productive when they return.
(Definition of layoff noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
Our dictionaries
Browse the Thesaurus
Browse the Dictionary
Word of the Day
throw caution to the wind/winds
to do something without worrying about the risk or negative results
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
