Meaning & use
out of hours
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Happening or available outside the normal working times of a business or service.
Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: an out-of-hours phone line.
Patterns
- out-of-hours service
- out-of-hours care
- out-of-hours appointment
The clinic runs an out-of-hours service for urgent cases.
Call the out-of-hours number if the office is closed.
She does most of her out-of-hours work from home.
adverb
Outside the usual working hours of a company or organization.
Grammar: Used as a time phrase, often with 'work' or 'call': I work out of hours.
Patterns
- work out of hours
- call out of hours
- be seen out of hours
The engineers sometimes work out of hours to avoid disruption.
You can reach a nurse out of hours by calling this number.
Patients seen out of hours are charged a higher fee.
phrasefixed phraseBritish
The period outside normal working hours, considered as a block of time.
Grammar: Used after 'in' or 'during' as a noun-like phrase: in out of hours.
Patterns
- in out of hours
- during out of hours
In out of hours, the building is locked and alarmed.
Staff are paid extra for working during out of hours.
Common combinations
- out-of-hours service
- The pharmacy offers an out-of-hours service at weekends.
- out-of-hours care
- Out-of-hours care is provided by a separate medical team.
- out-of-hours contact
- Please leave an out-of-hours contact number.
- work out of hours
- Many parents work out of hours to fit around childcare.
- out-of-hours call
- Every out-of-hours call is logged by the switchboard.
Synonyms and how they differ
- after-hours
- Very close in meaning, but 'after-hours' usually suggests late evening only, while 'out of hours' can include nights and weekends.
- unsocial
- Used in British English for hours that spoil your free time (unsocial hours); it describes the hours themselves, not a service.
Opposites
Word family
- hours noun
- The regular periods when a business is open or someone works.
Commonly confused: out of hours or after hours?
out of hours vs after hours
'After hours' means after the place has officially closed, often for a private activity; 'out of hours' is broader and includes any time outside normal working times.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'out of hours' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Out of hours' is a fixed phrase with a plural 'hours'; 'out of hour' is wrong, and 'out hours' or 'out of the hours' are not the established expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “out of hours”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.