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Etymology and origin of the English word downtime

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1928
Ultimate origin
English down,time

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈdaʊntaɪm/[1]
  • US: /ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English down + time, with down as an adjective, "not working".[2][3][4] It is also written “down-time”[3] or “down time”.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Time when a machine or plant is out of action: Merriam-Webster gives 1928 as its first known use,[4] Dictionary.com 1925–30,[6] the OED 1940, in Electrical World,[2] and Etymonline 1952.[3]

Semantic evolution

The word began in industry, for the time a machine, factory or department stood idle during working hours, as in a breakdown or repairs,[4][2] and was applied to computers that are unavailable.[5][2] In factory pay, it also meant time when a piece-worker could not produce through no fault of his own, and the base wage paid for it.[4] From 1971 it was used of people, for time off or a period of rest,[2] a sense Etymonline dates to 1982[3] and the Oxford Dictionary of English labels North American.[5]

Timeline

  • 1928 – time when a machine or factory is idle.[4] The OED's first record is from 1940.[2]
  • 1971 – time off, leisure.[2] Etymonline dates this sense to 1982.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Time during which a machine, computer system or factory is out of operation or unavailable, as during a breakdown or repairs: The upgrade caused two hours of downtime.[4][5][2]
  2. Time during which a worker paid by output cannot produce for reasons beyond his or her control, or the base pay given for it.[4]
  3. Time for rest or leisure; time off.[2][5]
  • down
  • time

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
Cite this entry

“Downtime.” Etymologically, 1 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/downtime. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·