workload
WURK-lohd
/ˈwɜːrkləʊd/
The amount of work that a person or organization has to do.
Often implies a significant or challenging amount of work that needs managing.
The story behind the word. The word 'workload' is a modern English compound, combining 'work' and 'load'. It emerged in the mid-20th century to describe the total amount of work or tasks assigned to or expected from an individual, team, or system. The 'load' aspect emphasizes the weight or burden of these tasks.
Word relationships
- burden: Often implies a heavy or oppressive amount of work.
- tasks: Refers to individual pieces of work, not the collective amount.
- responsibilities: Broader, includes duties that may not be 'work' in the task sense.
Collocations
- heavy workload
- manage workload
- reduce workload
- increased workload
- unmanageable workload
Example sentences
- "With three essays and two presentations due this week, my workload is incredibly heavy." A student feeling overwhelmed.
- "We need to redistribute the workload among the team members to prevent burnout." A manager discussing team capacity.
Memory hook
Your WORKLOAD is the LOAD of WORK you have to do. Load of work
When not to use
Do not use 'workload' for a single task; it refers to the total volume of work.
Related words
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