week

[week]

noun

1. a period of seven successive days.

   That wallpapering I thought I could do in two days ended up taking me a whole week.

2. the period of seven days from Sunday through Saturday, generally understood as the common representation of a week on a calendar.

   The 1st of next month is a Tuesday, so the first full week will begin on the 6th.

3. a period of seven successive days that begins with or includes an indicated day.

   the week of June 3; Christmas week.

4. (often initial capital letter),  a period of seven successive days devoted to a particular celebration, honor, cause, etc..

   National Book Week.

5. the working days or working portion of the seven-day period; workweek.

   Not all American workers put in the same number of hours on the job, but a 40-hour week is the norm.

adverb

1. British.,  seven days before or after a specified day.

   I shall come Tuesday week. He left yesterday week.

week

/ wiːk /

noun

1. a period of seven consecutive days, esp one beginning with Sunday

2. a period of seven consecutive days beginning from or including a specified day

   Easter week

   a week from Wednesday

3. the period of time within a week devoted to work

4. a week devoted to the celebration of a cause

adverb

1. seven days before or after a specified day

   I'll visit you Wednesday week

Word History and Origins

Origin of week¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English weke, Old English wice; cognate with Dutch week, Old Norse vika “week,” Gothic wikō “turn”; akin to Latin vicis (genitive) “turn” ( vice ³ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of week¹

Old English wice, wicu, wucu; related to Old Norse vika, Gothic wikō order

Example Sentences

The workers could return home on a chartered flight as early as this week, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2020, a few weeks before the pandemic, a nearby explosion damaged the building, and the gallery was forced to relocate to its current location.

From Los Angeles Times

The duo was expected to lead the production’s final 13 weeks — originally scheduled to end on Oct.

From Los Angeles Times

But after sitting out all of training camp and several weeks of preseason practices, his ability to start and finish the game was a victory unto itself.

From Los Angeles Times

Last week, Whybrow was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court to life with a minimum term of 24 years after being convicted of murder and causing grievous bodily harm.

From BBC

Related Words

• age 
• date 
• day 
• era 
• future 
• generation 
• hour 
• life 
• moment 
• month 
• occasion 
• pace 
• past 
• point 
• present 
• season 
• second 
• space 
• stage 
• term 

When To Use

What does week mean?

Week most generally refers to any period of seven consecutive days.The word week also commonly refers to the seven-day period that begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday (though in some places this may be different, with the week considered to begin on Monday, for example). There are 52 of these weeks in a calendar year.Sometimes, the word week is used to refer to a seven-day period that begins or includes a specific day, as in the week of September 5 or Thanksgiving week. It can also be used to refer to a seven-day period dedicated to a specific cause or cultural observation, as in National Grief Awareness Week.The word week is also often used to refer to the workweek (or schoolweek) to distinguish this span of (often five) days from the weekend. The standard workweek is from Monday through Friday, with Saturday and Sunday being considered the weekend, though working schedules vary widely. Many full-time jobs consist of a 40-hour week (five eight-hour days).The days within this five-day span are called weekdays, and the evenings of those days are called weeknights. The middle of the week is called midweek.The word weekly most commonly means done or happening once a week or every week, as in a weekly meeting. Example: They said it would take a week to get a reply, and it’s been six days already, so I’m hoping for a response tomorrow.