Dutch edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From werk +‎ -e- +‎ -loos.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈʋɛr.kəˌloːs/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: wer‧ke‧loos

Adjective edit

werkeloos (not comparable)

  1. having nothing to do, doing nothing; idle, workless
    werkeloos toezien — to watch idly (doing nothing to help)
  2. workless, jobless, unemployed
    • 1770 August 6, “Groot - Brittanien”, in Leydse Maandagſche Courant, number 94, page 1:
      Veele Scheeps - Timmerlieden , die werkeloos waren , zyn bereids in dienſt genoomen , ...
      Many ship carpenters who were unemployed have already been taken into service, ...

Usage notes edit

In recent years, some writers have started to make a distinction between the alternative forms werkloos and werkeloos, reserving the former for the sense “unemployed” and the latter for the sense “idle”. This distinction has no historical basis.[1]

Inflection edit

Inflection of werkeloos
uninflected werkeloos
inflected werkeloze
comparative
positive
predicative/adverbial werkeloos
indefinite m./f. sing. werkeloze
n. sing. werkeloos
plural werkeloze
definite werkeloze
partitive werkeloos

Derived terms edit

References edit

  1. ^ “Werkloos / werkeloos”, in Taalloket [1], Genootschap Onze Taal, May 2, 2017, retrieved November 3, 2019.