# hourly

/ˈaʊɹɫi/ (US) · /ˈaʊəli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hourly
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. happening every hour

adjective · CEFR A2

happening or done once every hour.

For teachers: occurring, performed, or appearing at intervals of sixty minutes.

- The hotel provides an hourly shuttle bus to the airport for guests.
- The weather station provides hourly updates on wind speed and atmospheric pressure to help pilots navigate the storm front.

### 2. paid by the hour

adjective · CEFR B1

describing a job where you are paid for each hour you work, rather than a fixed monthly salary.

For teachers: relating to a wage or employment status where compensation is calculated based on hours worked.

- Many students look for hourly work during the summer holidays.
- The company transitioned several administrative roles from salaried positions to hourly contracts to better manage fluctuating seasonal demand.

### 3. done every hour

adverb · CEFR B1

happening at intervals of one hour.

For teachers: at intervals of an hour; frequently used to describe repeated actions or measurements.

- The nurse checked the patient's temperature hourly throughout the night.
- The automated system backs up the database hourly to ensure that no more than sixty minutes of data can be lost in a crash.

### 4. an hourly worker

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a person who is paid for each hour they work.

For teachers: an employee whose compensation is based on an hourly rate rather than a fixed salary.

- The manager met with the hourlies to discuss the new weekend schedule.
- The union representative argued that the hourlies deserved a higher overtime premium given the hazardous conditions of the factory floor.

Usage: Usually used in the plural to refer to a group of workers.

## Examples

- The bus runs hourly from the station.
- The security guard makes hourly rounds to ensure all the doors in the warehouse are locked.
- The system is configured to generate hourly reports, allowing the management team to monitor fluctuations in website traffic with high precision throughout the business day.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.