layoff

1 of 2

noun

lay·​off ˈlā-ˌȯf How to pronounce layoff (audio)
1
: a period of inactivity or idleness
2
: the act of laying off an employee or a workforce
also : shutdown

lay off

2 of 2

verb

laid off; laying off; lays off

transitive verb

1
: to mark or measure off
2
: to cease to employ (a worker) often temporarily
3
of a bookie : to place all or part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie to reduce the risk
4
a
: to leave undisturbed
b
: avoid, quit
was advised to lay off smoking and alcohol
c
: to refrain from swinging at (a pitch)

intransitive verb

1
: to stop doing or taking something
2
: to leave one alone
wish you'd just lay off

Examples of layoff in a Sentence

Noun The company announced the layoff of several hundred employees. More layoffs are expected at the factory later this year. The band finally has a new album after a three year layoff. a layoff of three years Verb you need to lay off eating those jelly doughnuts, or you'll end up looking like one
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That optimism seems to be the consensus among analysts, including Goldman Sachs’ chief economist: The ruthless economic pains of a recession, such as mass layoffs and tepid consumer spending, probably won’t happen anytime soon. Bryan Mena, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 Ramirez said his layoff notice takes effect at the end of this school year if not rescinded. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 23 Mar. 2024 However, the coronavirus outbreak, business lockdowns, an uneven return to the workplace, tech layoffs and a fast-shifting economy forced Westbank and Urban Community to ponder alternative uses. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 There are no layoffs as part of the move, nor any changes to the content slates, or operational or reporting changes. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 The workforce shrank 47% between 2020 and 2023 because of layoffs and attrition, according to the NewsGuild. David Bauder, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 But work on the mission – now estimated to cost between US$8 billion to $11 billion – has slowed due to budget cuts and layoffs. Amy J. Williams, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 Alex, 38, who became chair in December 2022, was named official successor to the charity last June, bringing in mass layoffs and an operational overhaul that paused new donations for five months. Sophie Alexander, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 That’s sent the share prices of Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and other major media companies tumbling, setting off a wave of cutbacks and layoffs. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
While the rest of the industry has laid off tens of thousands of workers in the past two years, Nvidia’s head count has grown 30 percent to 29,600, according to company filings. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Trump win comes after dozens of RNC layoffs Trump's victory came after the Republican National Committee laid off more than 60 people on Tuesday. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Jeremy Reid, 53, was laid off from a recruiting job at a tech company in May 2023. Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 Discord, which laid off 17 percent of its employees in January, said that the ratio of people working in trust and safety—more than 15 percent—hasn’t changed. Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 In December, Sumner informed staff by email that some employees had been laid off. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Twitter, which Musk renamed X, has been accused in multiple suits of numerous labor and workplace violations, including failing to pay severance to thousands of workers laid off in the months after the takeover. Jef Feeley, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 The company has also been accused of failing to pay annual bonuses to employees laid off after Musk’s takeover. Brian Fung, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Major players are cracking down on password sharing, laying off employees, slowing their spending sprees and offering lower-cost subscriptions that come with ads — the same old-timey model that over-the-airwaves broadcast TV uses. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'layoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1748, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of layoff was in 1748

Dictionary Entries Near layoff

Cite this Entry

“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/layoff. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

layoff

1 of 2 noun
lay·​off ˈlā-ˌȯf How to pronounce layoff (audio)
1
: the act of laying off an employee or a work force
2
: a period during which there is no activity

lay off

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)lā-ˈȯf
1
: to mark or measure off
2
: to stop employing (a person) often temporarily
lay off workers
3
: to stop doing or taking something
lay off of that stuff

More from Merriam-Webster on layoff

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