Downtime Meaning
/ˈdaʊntaɪm/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounTime lost due to the failure of some system or machinery, such as a computer crash or power outage.
nounA period of time when work or other activity is less intense or stops.
Sentence Examples
The downtime is caused by a mechanical problem.
You need some downtime.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The server's unexpected ____ caused a significant loss in online sales revenue.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ is caused by a mechanical problem.
Word Origin & History
From down (“out of order; out of service; inoperable”) + time.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"A short internet outage might sound like a trifling matter – don’t we all need a little bit of time offline now and then? – but for many, the pervasiveness of the so-called “internet of things” meant downtime at Amazon affected their physical life as well as their digital one."
— 2017 March 1, Alex Hern, “How did an Amazon glitch leave people literally in the dark?”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 May 2023:
"As the world turns inward, trapped inside in various stages of pandemic quarantine, numerous songwriting luminaries (often blessed with their own in-home studios) have tried to use the downtime creatively—from Millennial stars like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande to longtime veterans like Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello."
— 2020 November 9, Gwen Ihnat, “With McCartney III, Paul McCartney Offers Lessons from a Legendary Life”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 07 Nov 2022:
"But scientists point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas."
— 2010 August 24, Matt Richtel, “Digital devices deprive brain of needed downtime”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 May 2023:
"‘We need to use the downtime, when things are calm, to prepare for when things get serious in the decades to come,’ he [Demis Hassabis] has said. ‘The time we have now is valuable, and we need to make use of it.’"
— 2021 March 19, James Fallows, “Can humans be replaced by machines?”, in The New York Times Book Review, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 May 2023:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The server's unexpected ____ caused a significant loss in online sales revenue.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ is caused by a mechanical problem.