• More from M-W
  • To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework

Nglish: Translation of homework for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of homework for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, absent letters that are heard anyway, how to use accents and diacritical marks, popular in wordplay, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, 7 shakespearean insults to make life more interesting, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.

Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Words and phrases

Personal account.

  • Access or purchase personal subscriptions
  • Get our newsletter
  • Save searches
  • Set display preferences

Institutional access

Sign in with library card

Sign in with username / password

Recommend to your librarian

Institutional account management

Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic

homework noun

  • Hide all quotations

What does the noun homework mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun homework . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun homework ?

How is the noun homework pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the noun homework come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader.

homework is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: home n. 1 , work n.

Nearby entries

  • homeward-bounder, n. 1837–
  • homeward-bound pennant, n. 1853–
  • homewardly, adv. 1797–
  • homewards, adv. & adj. Old English–
  • homeware, n. 1782–
  • home waters, n. 1838–
  • home wear, n. 1836–
  • home-whining, n. a1657
  • home wind, n. 1732–
  • home-woe, n. 1838–
  • homework, n. 1653–
  • homework club, n. 1900–
  • homework diary, n. 1973–
  • homeworker, n. 1843–
  • homeworking, n. 1844–
  • home-working, adj. 1850–
  • home worship, n. 1849–
  • homewort, n. Old English–
  • home-wreck, n. 1845–
  • home-wrecker, n. 1878–
  • home-wrecking, n. 1878–

Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary

To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.

Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for homework, n..

homework, n. was revised in September 2011.

homework, n. was last modified in June 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

  • further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
  • new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into homework, n. in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

  • Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

  • View homework in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for homework, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for homework, n., browse entry.

Definition of 'homework'

IPA Pronunciation Guide

It seems that your browser is blocking this video content.

To access it, add this site to the exceptions or modify your security settings, then refresh this page.

Youtube video

homework in American English

Homework in british english, examples of 'homework' in a sentence homework, related word partners homework, trends of homework.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically homework

  • homeward journey
  • homework assignment
  • homework club
  • homework diary
  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'H'

Related terms of homework

  • do homework
  • school homework
  • homework exercise
  • View more related words

Tile

Wordle Helper

Tile

Scrabble Tools

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Image

  • Access the entire site, including the Easy Learning Grammar , and our language quizzes.
  • Customize your language settings. (Unregistered users can only access the International English interface for some pages.)
  • Submit new words and phrases to the dictionary.
  • Benefit from an increased character limit in our Translator tool.
  • Receive our weekly newsletter with the latest news, exclusive content, and offers.
  • Be the first to enjoy new tools and features.
  • It is easy and completely free !

Look up a word, learn it forever.

Other forms: homeworks

Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework . Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework " excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age.

High school students typically have a lot of homework most days, and often that's true for younger students as well. In college, an increasing amount of school work is done outside of class, as homework (even if you do it in the library, a cafe, or a dorm). Homework originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s.

  • noun preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) synonyms: prep , preparation see more see less type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..

  • 1.1 Etymology
  • 1.2 Pronunciation
  • 1.3.1 Usage notes
  • 1.3.2 Hypernyms
  • 1.3.3 Coordinate terms
  • 1.3.4 Derived terms
  • 1.3.5 Translations
  • 1.4 See also
  • 1.5 References
  • 1.6 Anagrams

From home +‎ work .

Pronunciation

  • ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/
  • ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/
Audio ( ): ( )

homework ( usually uncountable , plural homeworks )

  • 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby , “Finland's education ambassador spreads the word”, in The Guardian ‎ [1] , archived from the original on 2022-10-15 : Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
  • 2023 January 12, Kevin Roose, “Don't Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.”, in The New York Times ‎ [2] , archived from the original on 2023-01-17 : And I'm sympathetic to teachers who feel that they have enough to worry about, without adding A.I.-generated homework to the mix.
  • 2024 May 15, 'Industry Insider', “Labour's plan for the railway”, in RAIL , number 1009 , page 68 : Under the proposals, an assurance is given that GBR (in the words of the plan) will not be marking its own homework .
  • 2012 April 10, John Hudson, “North Korea Has a Clumsy Way of Soothing Concerns About Its Rocket Launch”, in The Atlantic ‎ [3] , archived from the original on 2022-01-22 : Since the whole world is watching this launch, they probably should've done some homework on their talking points.
  • 2017 May 9, “Mindful sex is better sex, says B.C. researcher promoting new workbook”, in CBC News ‎ [4] , archived from the original on 2022-11-22 : Four years after her first sexual health book came out, Dr. Lori Brotto is giving her readers a little bit of homework for the bedroom.
  • 2022 July 18, Donald Mcrae , quoting Michael Yormark, “Roc Nation's Michael Yormark on Romelu Lukaku: 'You have to play to his strengths... I don't think that happened'”, in The Guardian ‎ [5] , archived from the original on 2022-12-26 : I didn't even know who he was until I did my homework and realised he was a premier footballer for Bayern.
  • 2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack , “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian ‎ [6] : Nigeria had done their homework and were well organised. Halimatu Ayinde was exceptional in her marking of James, who had scored twice and provided three assists as she ran the show against China.
  • 1989 , Eileen Boris, Cynthia R. Daniels, Homework: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Paid Labor at Home , University of Illinois Press , →ISBN , page 241 : Hatch perceived homework to be one tool—along with various workfare schemes and private sector training programs—that would take women off welfare and make poor women "independent."
  • 1933 , James T. Farrell , Gas-House McGinty , page 186 : My wife and I want a kid, and we do plenty of homework , but goddamn it, Dutch, I just can't connect.
  • ( BDSM ) Tasks assigned by a dominant for a submissive to perform when they are physically away from their dominant or otherwise free.

Usage notes

  • ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) The term homework generally implies that the work is mandatory and worth marks; exercises that are optional are usually referred to as practice problems , review problems , extra practice , exercises , etc.
  • ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) Work of a larger scale than homework (which involves a series of relatively simple exercises) is usually referred to as an assignment or project .

Coordinate terms

Derived terms.

  • bit of homework
  • do one's homework
  • homework club
  • homework diary
  • piece of homework
  • the dog ate my homework

Translations

      (wājib),   (wājib manziliyy) (wājib) (tnayin ašxatankʻ),   (das) (öygə eş)   (xátnjaje zadánnje),   (xátnjaja práca)   (domášna rábota)   (imca)       (gung fo )   (zuòyè),   (jiātíng zuòyè),   (gōngkè)       ,     ,     ,           ,           (sašinao davaleba)       (ergasía gia to spíti) ,   (gŕhakārya)           ,         (しゅくだい, shukudai) (üi tapsyrmasy)   (sukje) (üy tapşırması) (wīak bān)         (domašna rabota),   (domašna zadača) , (geriin daalgavar)   or ,   or   (mašq), (kâr dar xâne), (taklif-e madrese), (kâr-e xânagi) (Dari)     ,       , , ,           (domášneje zadánije),     (domášnjaja rabóta),     (domáška) (colloquial)     ,     ,   ,           (Argentina, Spain, Uruguay),     (Latin America)     ,     ,     (vazifa-yi xonagi), (kor-i xonagi)   (gaan-bâan)   ,   (domášnje zavdánnja),   (domášnja robóta)   (sabaq) (tapshuruq) ,   ,     (heymarbet)
    (yánjiū), (zhǔnbèi gōngzuò)       ,             (podgotovítelʹnaja rabóta),     (isslédovanije)        

homework noun form

  • English compound terms
  • English 2-syllable words
  • English terms with IPA pronunciation
  • English terms with audio links
  • English lemmas
  • English nouns
  • English uncountable nouns
  • English countable nouns
  • English terms with usage examples
  • English terms with quotations
  • English terms with rare senses
  • English slang
  • English euphemisms
  • English endocentric compounds
  • en:Education
  • Pages with 1 entry
  • Terms with Afrikaans translations
  • Terms with Albanian translations
  • Terms with Arabic translations
  • Terms with Gulf Arabic translations
  • Terms with Armenian translations
  • Terms with Azerbaijani translations
  • Terms with Bashkir translations
  • Terms with Basque translations
  • Terms with Belarusian translations
  • Terms with Bulgarian translations
  • Terms with Burmese translations
  • Terms with Catalan translations
  • Terms with Cantonese translations
  • Terms with Mandarin translations
  • Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
  • Terms with Cornish translations
  • Terms with Czech translations
  • Terms with Danish translations
  • Terms with Dutch translations
  • Terms with Esperanto translations
  • Terms with Faroese translations
  • Terms with Finnish translations
  • Terms with French translations
  • Terms with Georgian translations
  • Terms with German translations
  • Terms with Greek translations
  • Terms with Haitian Creole translations
  • Terms with Hebrew translations
  • Hindi terms with non-redundant manual transliterations
  • Terms with Hindi translations
  • Terms with Hungarian translations
  • Terms with Icelandic translations
  • Terms with Indonesian translations
  • Terms with Irish translations
  • Terms with Italian translations
  • Terms with Japanese translations
  • Terms with Kazakh translations
  • Terms with Korean translations
  • Terms with Kyrgyz translations
  • Terms with Lao translations
  • Terms with Latin translations
  • Terms with Lithuanian translations
  • Terms with Macedonian translations
  • Terms with Malay translations
  • Terms with Maltese translations
  • Terms with Maori translations
  • Terms with Mongolian translations
  • Terms with Navajo translations
  • Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations
  • Terms with Persian translations
  • Terms with Polish translations
  • Terms with Portuguese translations
  • Terms with Romanian translations
  • Terms with Russian translations
  • Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations
  • Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations
  • Terms with Slovak translations
  • Terms with Slovene translations
  • Terms with Spanish translations
  • Terms with Swedish translations
  • Terms with Tagalog translations
  • Terms with Tajik translations
  • Terms with Thai translations
  • Terms with Turkish translations
  • Terms with Ukrainian translations
  • Urdu terms with redundant transliterations
  • Terms with Urdu translations
  • Terms with Uyghur translations
  • Terms with Uzbek translations
  • Terms with Vietnamese translations
  • Terms with Welsh translations
  • Terms with Yiddish translations

Navigation menu

  • Dictionaries home
  • American English
  • Collocations
  • German-English
  • Grammar home
  • Practical English Usage
  • Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
  • Word Lists home
  • My Word Lists
  • Recent additions
  • Resources home
  • Text Checker

Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

  • acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
  • receive/provide somebody with training
  • develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
  • give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
  • hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
  • moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
  • sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
  • go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
  • be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
  • study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
  • finish/drop out of/quit school
  • graduate from high school/college
  • be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
  • skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
  • cheat on an exam/a test
  • get/be given a detention (for doing something)
  • be expelled from/be suspended from school
  • do your homework/a project on something
  • work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
  • finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
  • hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
  • study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
  • take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
  • grade homework/a test
  • do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
  • pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
  • apply to/get into/go to/start college
  • leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
  • study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
  • major/minor in biology/philosophy
  • earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Take your English to the next level

The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

homework noun form

The noun 'homework' is a common, compound, abstract, uncountable noun; a word for a form of study or preparation; a word for a concept.

Add your answer:

imp

What is the plural form of the word homework?

The collective noun for the noun 'homework' is a slew of homework.

Is homework an abstract uncountable noun?

No, the noun 'homework' is simply a common, compound, abstract noun, a word for a thing.A collective noun is a word used to group people or things taken together as one whole. The collective noun for homework is a slew of homework.The noun 'homework' is an uncountable noun called an aggregate noun, a word representing an indefinite number of elements or parts.

Is homework a noun or a verb?

Homework is a noun. Ex:I am doing my homework.Go do your homework.You have homework tonight.It is a noun because it is a thing YEY.

What type of speech is homework?

Homework is a noun.

Is homework a common noun?

Yes, the noun 'homework' is a common noun, a word for any kind of homework or anyone.A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, or thing: Shakespeare, Brazil, Coca Cola.Yes, homework is a common noun.

imp

Top Categories

Answers Logo

WordReference Forums

  • Rules/Help/FAQ Help/FAQ
  • Members Current visitors
  • Interface Language

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

  • English Only

Homework - singular or plural?

  • Thread starter Mr_Croft
  • Start date Nov 19, 2007
  • Nov 19, 2007

cuchuflete

Senior Member

I haven't ( have not) done it. It is singular. My homework is singular. It names the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English dictionary. It will display threads with that word in the title: Forum discussions with the word(s) 'uncountable' in the title: Countable and uncountable, depending on context! Countable, uncountable: asparagus Countable, uncountable: homework Uncountable nouns - an exercise is the word "cheese" uncountable? Countable, uncountable: mail, e-mail Countable, uncountable: broccoli, orange Countable, uncountable: advice, bread, cabbage, hair, onions Countable, uncountable: chocolate, chocolates Countable, uncountable: food Countable, uncountable: news Two uncountable nouns become plural? Countable, uncountable: peanuts, people Should the verb be singular or plural after two uncountable nouns? Countable and uncountable, depending on context! uncountable luck Biker, Sponsor: UNCOUNTABLE??? is or are with a list of uncountable Countable, uncountable: help Countable, uncountable: snow Two types of uncountable nouns. the use of articles with uncountable nouns Countable, uncountable: patience "Advice" - uncountable??? Tip (countable or uncountable)  

panjandrum

The last time we talked about this, everyone but me said that homework is not countable. Countable, uncountable: homework But in this particular example, even I would say: I haven't done my homework. Have you done your homework? I haven't done it yet. - - - even if I have homework to do in several different subjects.  

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

What's the correct unit for homework?

Consider the case when a teacher has thirty students in the class. The noun "homework" is uncountable so he cannot say "I have thirty homeworks to grade every week." My question is that if there is any unit of homework so that the sentence "I have thirty (units) of homework to grade every week" can be valid?

  • After reading the replies, I think I should make the situation more clear. I myself am a math TA. What our students need to do for homework is usually about ten exercises from the textbook. I feel if I ask another TA how much homework he needs to grade, the usual reply will be like, "I have two sections, fifteen students each, and we have one assignment every week." Since the amount of exercises is usually the same, we don't really care about it. The amount of homework to grade mainly depends on how many students we have. But I always feel this kind of reply to be very indirect. So my precisely question is if there is any way to reply the question "how much homework do you need to grade?" by saying "I need to grade thirty (units) homework every week."
  • Based on what I see from the replies, I have the impression that different countries have different answers for this question. Is this true? I'm on the west coast of the US so the way in which people there answer this question is what I care about the most. But I'm still interested in knowing the difference.
  • uncountable-nouns

Solomon Ucko's user avatar

  • 7 But, Chris, you'd need to tell us what unit is important. What did you count to reach thirty? Was it questions, exercises, assignments, workbooks? Was it students or classes? Until you tell us, we don't know. –  Gary Botnovcan Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:21

9 Answers 9

In your example, you could use pieces , as in I have thirty pieces of homework to grade every week .

piece noun [ C ] (THING) a single object of a particular type: a piece of furniture/clothing/equipment a piece of paper (= a whole sheet) a piece of china (= an object made of china) a piece of information/advice (Cambridge Dictionary)

However, that doesn't seem particularly idiomatic to me. You could use assignments , as in homework assignments :

assignment noun [ C/U ] us ​ /əˈsɑɪn·mənt/ a particular job or responsibility given to you: [C] The homework assignment was to read Chapter 2 in our history book. (Cambridge Dictionary)

However, in my experience, it's more common to use the type of assignment instead of homework . I think the most broad term is assignment , but you could be more specific: I have 30 ______ to grade every week.

  • assignments

I was very briefly a grader (or, "reader") in a related field. I can't remember exactly how I talked about it, but if someone asked me, "How much homework do you need to grade?", I would probably reply

I need to grade thirty [assignments] every week.

You could also say sets (as others have mentioned), or even submissions (more generic). I'm thinking maybe even "papers", but that's usually used with reports or essay-like works.

I don't think I would have responded in the form you supplied, "I need to grade thirty (units) homework every week." But, that's just my personal feeling of it. You can still use pieces , as mentioned earlier. It may or may not sound slightly strange to the listener, but you will be understood.

To my surprise, BrE users are reporting that pieces of homework is idiomatic to them. I did a little Ngram search , and it appears that the phrase is more common in BrE.

enter image description here

I'm from the West Coast (US).

Em.'s user avatar

  • 2 I always preferred "piece of homework", so +1 –  SovereignSun Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 9:19
  • 4 Pieces was the first word I thought of. (brit here) –  WendyG Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 10:56
  • 2 I've often heard " homework for 30 students ", or " papers ", as in " I have 30 papers to grade this weekend ". –  Todd Wilcox Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 13:58
  • 8 "Assignment" strikes me as more likely American. I don't think we ever referred to pieces of homework as "assignments" in secondary school here in Britain. Maybe my school was just weird though, it's hard to tell with this sort of thing! –  Muzer Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 14:27
  • 2 Pieces of homework sounds perfectly idiomatic to me (from UK) –  Ben Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 13:08

You are given homework assignments :

[Merriam-Webster] 2 b : a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority • a homework assignment The students were given a homework assignment .

Jason Bassford's user avatar

  • @Richard The way I see it, this definition is not so precise and clear too! What about: "a piece of work that a student is asked to do" (Quoted from here , definition number 2) –  a.RR Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 14:14
  • 5 If the teacher were marking 30 assignments, I'd see that as 30 sets of different homework, not 30 submissions for the same assignment. –  Lightness Races in Orbit Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:16
  • Agreed; one assignment to 30 students would produce (up to) 30 submissions to grade. –  chepner Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 18:19
  • In Toronto, especially in high school, we always got homework assignments. They weren't called anything else. –  Jason Bassford Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 20:30
  • 1 Hmm everyone I knew when I TA'd in the US would more than happily use "homeworks". Not sure if they would write since I've never had occasion to need that but in casual speech it seems completely acceptable. I wonder how many would have actually reported it as ungrammatical. –  DRF Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 13:45

You pick a different noun that is more flexible yet appropriate.

I have thirty reports to grade. I have thirty assignments to mark.

Paul Childs's user avatar

  • 2 Also problem sets or essays. –  user3067860 Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 13:29

You're asking about the teacher's workload in evaluating the homework that has been returned.

I think the word 'sets' is what you're looking for.

I have 30 sets of math homework to grade, and I still have 8 sets of geography homework from yesterday that I'm not done with.

set (MW, noun definition 2)

a number of things of the same kind that belong or are used together

John Feltz's user avatar

The dictionaries don't seem to have caught up yet but, as somebody who regularly sets and marks homework in a university in the UK, I would quite happily refer to "marking 30 homeworks". A comment on another answer says that this is also used in the US.

So, at least for informal use, I think it's fine to use homework as a countable noun and pluralize it. If you wanted to be more formal, I'd go with my usual cowardly solution of rewording to avoid the problem: "I have to grade 30 students' homework" or "I have to grade homework for 30 students."

David Richerby's user avatar

  • 1 I agree, but interestingly, if I were a student and had a math assignment, a history assignment, and an English assignment, I'd never say "I have three homeworks to do." –  thumbtackthief Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 21:21

I suggest you use the word exercise . It's one of the most frequently used words in this meaning(=homework) & it's countable too.

Well, there are other simple ways:

For homework , you're going to finish thirty exercises every week.

In other words:

Do Exercises 3, 4, 5 etc on pages 51, 52, 53 etc for homework .

If you are student you can say:

My science teacher always sets a lot of homework. The teacher told us to do thirty exercises for homework.

If you are teacher you can also say:

For homework I want you to do thirty exercises.

a.RR's user avatar

  • 1 But if you set thirty exercises as homework then one 'unit' of homework would be thirty exercises, so 'exercise' isn't the unit for 'the homework received from one pupil'. –  Pete Kirkham Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:01
  • @PeteKirkham All in all, " One exercise " can be a " Piece of homework " or " A part of assignment " . So I definitely disagree with you. –  a.RR Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:43
  • 2 Probably an American thing, but "my teacher sets a lot of homework" sounds very weird to me. I would always use the verb "gives." I also agree with @PeteKirkham; to me, "exercise" only refers to a part of an assignment and not the assignment as a whole. –  Doorknob Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 14:35
  • @Doorknob "Set" seems very normal to me in British English so, yes, this probably is a US/UK thing. –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:07
  • This is incorrect. If the teacher has set 30 exercises to each of 30 students, then they have 900 exercises to mark but only 30 units of homework. "Exercise" and "homework" are not synonyms: one's homework is the total work one has been set to do at home and that may consist of multiple exercises, as your answer makes clear. –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:09

I'd quantify it by the amount of students whose homework you have to grade.

"I have homework of 30 students to grade this weekend"

Bernhard's user avatar

  • 2 Or, more simply, "30 students' homework". With your phrasing, I think you need the definite article, "I have the homework of 30 students to grade this weekend." –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:00

At MIT, most courses assign homework in " problem sets ".

A typical engineering student has to do four problem sets per week: one for each course that he or she is enrolled in.

A typical TA (Teaching Assistant) has to grade dozens of problem sets per week: one for each student in his (or rarely her) recitation section(s).

A typical problem set consists of several problems.

Some courses (especially in Technical Writing and the Humanities) require students to write weekly essays, instead of solve weekly problem sets.

Jasper's user avatar

'30 sets of homework' perhaps.

But 'I've got 30 homeworks to mark' doesn't sound wrong.

Laurence's user avatar

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged nouns uncountable-nouns ..

  • Featured on Meta
  • Site maintenance - Mon, Sept 16 2024, 21:00 UTC to Tue, Sept 17 2024, 2:00...
  • User activation: Learnings and opportunities
  • Join Stack Overflow’s CEO and me for the first Stack IRL Community Event in...

Hot Network Questions

  • I am an imaginary variance
  • Young adult fantasy book about a girl who accidentally kills her boyfriend and decides to attend an academy for witches or magic
  • Will there be Sanhedrin in Messianic Times?
  • Can All Truths Be Scientifically Verified?
  • 120V on fridge door handle when ground broken
  • AES-256 file encryption in c#
  • Seeking a Text-Based Version of Paul Dirac's 1926 Paper on Quantum Mechanics
  • Recover lost disk space (> 270 GB)
  • Offline autocue (teleprompter) program for Windows?
  • Coding a 6 using tikz
  • Can RP2040 GPIOs be used as a "togglable ground" for NMOS Array?
  • Why does fdisk create a 512B partition when I enter +256K?
  • Convert base-10 to base-0.1
  • Rich Mental Images
  • How can we speed up the process of returning our lost luggage?
  • Fill this Sudoku variant so that the sums of numbers in the outlined regions are all different
  • Little spikes on mains AC
  • What would a planet need for rain drops to trigger explosions upon making contact with the ground?
  • If someone threatens force to prevent another person from leaving, are they holding them hostage?
  • Not great at regexs. Trying to code-golf this beast of a regex WITHOUT using string replacement (for G-Zip purposes)
  • What is the best way to protect from polymorphic viruses?
  • Fifth year PhD student with no progress on my thesis because of advisor, what to do?
  • Solaris 11 cbe: no more updates?
  • How to make a soundless world

homework noun form

What's the opposite of
Meaning of the word
Words that rhyme with
Sentences with the word
Translate to
Find Words Use * for blank tiles (max 2) Use * for blank spaces
Find the of
Pronounce the word in
Find Names    
Appearance
Use device theme  
Dark theme
Light theme
? ? Here's the word you're looking for. The noun can be countable or uncountable.

In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be .

However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be e.g. in reference to various types of or a collection of .

Use * for blank tiles (max 2)
Use * for blank spaces
And there is naturally also a limit to how many hours they can be poring over their books after many hours at school and three hours of .
The innovative scheme could be used to send revision questions and exam timetables, or chase-up and absences.
The children attending the club have an opportunity to do and other activities.
Of course, we do realise that the children are already busy with their school homework hence we keep to the minimum.
A room dedicated to the school and university was also repaired.
The teacher will reinforce learning with and at the end of each week will complete a written evaluation test.

bottom_desktop desktop:[300x250]

go
Word Tools Finders & Helpers Apps More Synonyms


Copyright WordHippo © 2024

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Why are "homework" and "work" uncountable in English? [closed]

In Bulgarian both "homework" and "work" are countable. Why are they uncountable in English then? What is the difference in meaning that makes that happen?

  • uncountable-nouns

JSBձոգչ's user avatar

  • 'Why'?' is a difficult question. Sometimes things just are . –  Mitch Commented Jan 17, 2012 at 14:30

Both are considered mass nouns , just like milk , air , etc.

However, work can also refer to a singular piece of creation (art, literature, plays, etc.), in which case it can be pluralized:

These are all the works of Shakespeare.

If you want to refer to a specific part of your work , you could use task :

I completed twelve tasks . I got a lot of work done today.

Likewise, if you want to refer to a single, discrete unit of homework , use assignment :

Our teacher gave us three assignments to complete by Friday.

The English Chicken's user avatar

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged nouns history uncountable-nouns or ask your own question .

  • Featured on Meta
  • User activation: Learnings and opportunities
  • Site maintenance - Mon, Sept 16 2024, 21:00 UTC to Tue, Sept 17 2024, 2:00...

Hot Network Questions

  • crontab schedule on Alpine Linux runs on days it's not supposed to run on
  • Are positive definite linear operator always invertible?
  • 1950s comic book about bowling ball looking creatures that inhabit the underground of Earth
  • Why is steaming food faster than boiling it?
  • Not great at regexs. Trying to code-golf this beast of a regex WITHOUT using string replacement (for G-Zip purposes)
  • If one is arrested, but has a baby/pet in their house, what are they supposed to do?
  • 120V on fridge door handle when ground broken
  • Inverses of Morphisms Necessarily Being Morphisms
  • Why does fdisk create a 512B partition when I enter +256K?
  • How would you address the premises of Schellenberg's non-resistant divine hiddenness argument?
  • Do I have to use a new background that's been republished under the 2024 rules?
  • Do carbon fiber wings need a wing spar?
  • Missed the application deadline for a TA job. Should I contact them back?
  • XeLaTeX does not show latin extended characters with stix2
  • Copyright on song first performed in public
  • Using a standard junction box as a pull point in a run. Do I need to leave a loop of wire in the box or should I take the slack out?
  • What makes amplifiers so expensive?
  • I am an imaginary variance
  • Find conditions for a cubic to have three positive roots without explicitly using the Root objects?
  • Can RP2040 GPIOs be used as a "togglable ground" for NMOS Array?
  • A coworker says I’m being rude—only to him. How should I handle this?
  • Fast leap year check
  • Is it true that before European modernity, there were no "nations"?
  • Boon of combat prowess when you can only attack once

homework noun form

Cambridge Dictionary

  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Definition of homework – Learner’s Dictionary

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

  • Go upstairs and do your homework.
  • For your homework, please do exercise 3 on page 24.
  • When I finish my homework, can I watch TV?
  • Get on with your homework.
  • She was trying to duck out of doing her homework.

(Definition of homework from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of homework

Get a quick, free translation!

{{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}}

Word of the Day

scientific methods of solving crimes, that involve examining objects or substances related to a crime

Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)

Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)

homework noun form

Learn more with +Plus

  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
  • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
  • English–Dutch Dutch–English
  • English–French French–English
  • English–German German–English
  • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
  • English–Italian Italian–English
  • English–Japanese Japanese–English
  • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
  • English–Polish Polish–English
  • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
  • English–Spanish Spanish–English
  • English–Swedish Swedish–English
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
  • do your homework
  • Translations
  • All translations

To add homework to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add homework to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

IMAGES

  1. Plural noun practice homework

    homework noun form

  2. Common and Proper Nouns Worksheets, Definitions, and Examples

    homework noun form

  3. Nouns Worksheet For Grade 3 With Answers Pdf

    homework noun form

  4. 15 Types Of Nouns Worksheet ~ simbologia

    homework noun form

  5. nouns, common nouns and proper nouns worksheets for grade 1, 2, 3

    homework noun form

  6. What is a Noun Form

    homework noun form

VIDEO

  1. What is Noun?

  2. Noun form #english #nounform #wordformation

  3. holiday homework of English grammar, Noun chart 🪄🪄

  4. To prevent this. [ Noun form of 'prevent' ]

  5. DIY my holiday homework proper noun and common noun chart 📉📈#trending #drawing #youtubeshort #music

  6. Grammar Course for Teachers and Home schoolers// What Are Nouns? An Introduction

COMMENTS

  1. homework noun

    Definition of homework noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  2. Homework Definition & Meaning

    The meaning of HOMEWORK is piecework done at home for pay. How to use homework in a sentence.

  3. homework noun

    The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader. homework is formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: home n.1, work n. See etymology.

  4. nouns

    14. "Homework" is uncountable since it is treated as a general meaning not a particular item, like "work", "money" etc. In your case, use "assignment" instead.

  5. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  6. HOMEWORK definition in American English

    homework in American English. (ˈhoumˌwɜːrk) noun. 1. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork) 2. paid work done at home, as piecework. 3. thorough preparatory study of a subject.

  7. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  8. homework

    NOUNS + homework biology/history/French etc homework The science homework was really hard. phrases a piece of homework I still have one piece of homework left to do. COMMON ERRORS Don't say 'make/write your homework'. Say do your homework. Examples from the Corpus homework • Don't you kids have any homework?

  9. Homework

    Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework. Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework" excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age.

  10. homework

    homework (usually uncountable, plural homeworks) Exercises assigned by a teacher to a student which review concepts studied in class. You must do your homework before you can watch television. 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby, "Finland's education ambassador spreads the word", in The Guardian ‎ [1], archived from the original on 2022-10-15: Even ...

  11. homework noun

    Definition of homework noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  12. countability

    In the US "homework" is considered to be a "mass" noun and articles are not used. (May be different in the UK or India.) A "homework assignment" is an individual piece of homework and does take an article. - Hot Licks Jan 13, 2016 at 3:56 1

  13. What type of noun is the word homework?

    The noun 'homework' is a common, compound, abstract, uncountable noun; a word for a form of study or preparation; a word for a concept.

  14. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  15. Homework

    It is singular. My homework is singular. It names. the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English ...

  16. nouns

    The teacher told us to do thirty exercises for homework. If you are teacher you can also say: For homework I want you to do thirty exercises. But if you set thirty exercises as homework then one 'unit' of homework would be thirty exercises, so 'exercise' isn't the unit for 'the homework received from one pupil'.

  17. What is the plural of homework

    Answer. The noun homework can be countable or uncountable. In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be homework. However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be homeworks e.g. in reference to various types of homeworks or a collection of homeworks. Find more words!

  18. Nouns: Types of Nouns With Examples

    Learn the definition, types, and examples of nouns, the most common part of speech in English. Improve your grammar skills with Grammarly.

  19. Why are "homework" and "work" uncountable in English?

    In Bulgarian both "homework" and "work" are countable. Why are they uncountable in English then? What is the difference in meaning that makes that happen?

  20. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  21. Possessive Nouns: How to Use Them, With Examples

    Learn all about possissive nouns, including how they work, the different kinds of possessive nouns, and when to use them, with examples.