layoff

NOUN

[/ˈleɪɔːf/]

the temporary or permanent dismissal of employees due to economic reasons or company restructuring

💡 Concept

the temporary or permanent dismissal of employees due to economic reasons or company restructuring

🎵 Rhyme

After the layoff, watch dreams takeoff for the ultimate payoff!

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈleɪɔːf/

🇬🇧 UK/ˈleɪɒf/

🌳Etymology

Rootlay off

Origin

Layoff emerged in early 20th-century American English as a compound of the verb 'lay' (to place or set down) and the adverb 'off' (away or apart). The phrasal verb 'lay off' originally meant to cease or discontinue work, later developing into the specific sense of temporarily or permanently dismissing employees from employment.

Breakdown

lay (to place, put down) + off (away, apart) = to terminate employment or dismiss from work. The noun form 'layoff' derives from the phrasal verb 'lay off', with the stress shifting to create a distinct nominal meaning for a temporary or permanent workforce reduction.

🎵Rhyme

playoffpayofftakeoff

playoff

payoff

takeoff

🔗Collocations

mass layoff

temporary layoff

announce layoffs

layoff notice

avoid layoffs

layoff package

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“After the merger, the CEO's first gift to employees was a surprise layoff announcement on Christmas Eve.”

😄 Fun example

“The tech company's layoff was so sudden that some employees found out through LinkedIn posts.”

“Despite record profits, the company proceeded with layoffs to 'optimize operational efficiency.'”

“The layoff survivor's guilt was worse than the actual fear of being laid off.”

📚Related Words

Synonyms

dismissalterminationredundancydownsizingretrenchment

Antonyms

hiringrecruitmentemployment

unemploymentseverancerestructuringresignationfiring

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layoff — the temporary or permanent dismissal of employees due to economic reasons or company restructuring

Example Sentences