moonlighting
MOON-lye-ting
/ˈmuːnlaɪtɪŋ/
Having a second job or business interest secretly or in addition to one's regular full-time employment.
Implies working extra hours, often at night or off-hours, sometimes concealed from one's main employer.
The story behind the word. Originated in 19th-century Ireland, where tenant farmers carried out illicit nighttime agrarian raids 'by the light of the moon'. By mid-20th century America, the term shifted to describe working a second job under the cover of night after completing a day shift.
Word relationships
- side hustling: Side hustling is a positive modern term, whereas moonlighting traditionally carried connotations of secrecy or conflict of interest.
- single-employment: Holding strictly one primary employment role.
Commonly confused with
- overtime: Overtime is extra paid hours worked for your primary employer, whereas moonlighting involves a second separate job.
Word family
- moonlight (verb): To work a second job in addition to main employment.
- moonlighter (noun): A person who moonlights.
Collocations
- moonlighting policy
- moonlighting as
- prohibit moonlighting
- catch moonlighting
Idioms & expressions
- side hustle
- burning the candle at both ends
Example sentences
- "The corporate handbook explicitly prohibits moonlighting for direct competitors in the tech industry." Workplace Policy
- "By moonlighting as a web designer after work, David paid off his student loans two years early." Financial Strategy
Memory hook
Working under the MOON LIGHT after the sun sets on your primary corporate day job. Moonlighting = working by night.
When not to use
Do not use to describe someone whose primary job simply takes place at night.
Fun facts
- During WWII, moonlighting was heavily discouraged by governments concerned that fatigued workers would ruin factory productivity.
Related words
Explore more words
freelance, overtime, underemployment, avocation, clandestine, nocturnal
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.