week
week
Week (noun) means a period of seven consecutive days. Example: “We'll be on holiday for a week.”
noun
1
A period of seven consecutive days.
"Some of the same areas hit by tornadoes just a little over a week ago are expecting severe storms again Monday afternoon and evening."
— Allison Chinchar, Multiday severe weather threat could continue tornado streak this week (2024)
"We'll be on holiday for a week."
"It took her a week to reply to the email."
"The shop is closed for one week while the floors are replaced."
How to use week
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA block of seven days, usually running Monday–Sunday or Sunday–Saturday.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
last week
next week
a week from now
twice a week
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like week.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- weeks
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We'll be on holiday for a _____.
Etymology
From Old English wiċe/wucu ("week"), from a Germanic root meaning "sequence" or "turn" — ultimately related to a very old word meaning "to bend or yield".
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for week
See all rhymes for week →Frequently asked questions
What does “week” mean?
The word “week” means a period of seven consecutive days. In plain terms, a block of seven days, usually running Monday–Sunday or Sunday–Saturday.
How do you pronounce “week”?
“Week” is pronounced week (/wiːk/ in IPA).
How do you use “week” in a sentence?
Here is “week” used in a sentence: “We'll be on holiday for a week.”
What is another word for “week”?
Words with a similar meaning to “week” include hebdomad, sennight and sevennight.
What part of speech is “week”?
“Week” is a noun.
Where does the word “week” come from?
The word “week” comes from Old English. From Old English wiċe/wucu ("week"), from a Germanic root meaning "sequence" or "turn" — ultimately related to a very old word meaning "to bend or yield".
Is “week” a common word?
“Week” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many days are in a week?
A week has seven days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This seven-day cycle is used almost everywhere in the world and repeats without end, making the week one of the most common units for organizing time — larger than a day but shorter than a month.
What is the difference between a week and a weekend?
A week is the full seven-day period, while the weekend is only the part set aside for rest — usually Saturday and Sunday. The other days, Monday through Friday, are called weekdays or the workweek. So the weekend is one portion of the week, not the whole of it.
When does the week start?
It depends on the calendar and culture. In the United States and many other places, calendars show the week starting on Sunday. The international standard, ISO 8601, and much of Europe treat Monday as the first day. Both conventions are widely used, so neither is universally right or wrong.
Why does a week have seven days?
The seven-day week has ancient roots, traced to Babylonian astronomy and the seven celestial bodies visible to the naked eye, and later reinforced by religious tradition. Unlike the day, month, and year, it matches no natural astronomical cycle, yet it has endured for thousands of years as a global standard.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include week:
