week
A1Neutral. Universally used in all registers from casual conversation to formal and technical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A period of seven days.
A period of seven consecutive days, typically beginning with Sunday (in some contexts Monday), used as a standard unit of time in calendars. It also refers to the working days of that period (e.g., 'the working week'), or a specific week designated for a purpose (e.g., 'orientation week').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The specific start of the week (Sunday vs. Monday) varies culturally and by context (e.g., calendars, work schedules). The word can refer to the entire 7-day cycle or just the Monday-to-Friday work period.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'week' identically for the 7-day period. Slight preference in business contexts: BrE may use 'fortnight' for two weeks, which is rare in AmE.
Connotations
Identical core meaning. The phrase 'day of the week' is equally common. 'Weekend' is universal.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[PREP] during the week[PREP] for a week[PREP] in a week[PREP] within a week[PREP] per weekVocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “week in, week out”
- “a week tomorrow”
- “a week on Tuesday”
- “make your week”
- “that's the week that was”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the work cycle, e.g., 'Q2 deliverables are due by the end of the business week.'
Academic
Used for scheduling and periods of study, e.g., 'The experiment ran for a period of six weeks.'
Everyday
Ubiquitous for planning and discussing time, e.g., 'Let's meet up sometime next week.'
Technical
A standard unit in timelines, project management, and scientific reporting.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The week-long festival was a great success.
- She has a weekly meeting.
American English
- The weeklong festival was a huge hit.
- He makes a weekly payment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I go swimming once a week.
- See you next week!
- The project must be completed within a two-week timeframe.
- We typically grocery shop at the weekend.
- Barring any unforeseen complications, the report should be on your desk a week on Friday.
- The data shows a week-on-week increase in user engagement.
- The committee agreed to a week-long adjournment to consider the new evidence.
- Her performance week in, week out, is consistently exemplary.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'WEEK' having two 'E's, like the two weekends that bookend the week.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A RESOURCE (to spend, waste, or save a week); TIME IS LINEAR MOTION (the week stretches ahead, we're getting through the week).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend: Russian 'вик' (vik) does not exist. The correct translation is 'неделя' (nedelya), which etymologically means 'no work', related to Sunday.
Common Mistakes
- Using prepositions incorrectly: 'on this week' (incorrect) vs. 'this week' or 'during this week' (correct). Confusing 'week' with 'weak' (homophone).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase correctly indicates a recurring Monday-to-Friday period?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends. In many cultures (e.g., US), the calendar week starts on Sunday. In others (e.g., UK, ISO standard), it starts on Monday. Business contexts almost universally treat Monday as the start of the working week.
Often interchangeable, but 'one week' emphasizes the single, specific unit ('It will take one week'), while 'a week' is more general ('I visit a week').
As a singular countable noun, it takes singular verbs: 'The week is long.' When referring to multiple units, it's plural: 'Two weeks have passed.'
It means seven days after a specified day. 'A week from Tuesday' means the Tuesday that comes after the next Tuesday.
Collections
Part of a collection
Numbers and Time
A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.