Definition of Make-work

1. Noun. Active work of little value. "While he was waiting he filled the days with busywork"

Exact synonyms: Busywork
Generic synonyms: Work

Definition of Make-work

1. Noun. An activity or task assigned or undertaken for the sake of activity or busy-ness, rather than because of a particular need. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Make-work

make-believe
make-do
make-hawk
make-king
make-koshi
make-or-break
make-out
make-over
make-peace
make-readies
make-ready
make-sport
make-up
make-up artist
make-up artists
make-work (current term)
make a break for it
make a clean breast
make a decision
make a difference
make a face
make a fool of
make a go of it
make a hash of
make a killing
make a leg
make a living
make a meal of
make a meal out of
make a mistake

Literary usage of Make-work

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Family: An Ethnographical and Historical Outline with Descriptive Notes by Elsie Worthington Clews Parsons (1908)
"... give away, make work, offer up in blood sacrifice or in lifelong dedication to deity, abuse, etc., at pleasure. In other communities, on the other hand, ..."

2. Principles of Commerce: A Study of the Mechanism, the Advantages, and the by Harry Gunnison Brown (1916)
"... and makes necessary low wages to equalize supply of and demand for wage earners' services.1 §3 The Make-Work Argument for Protection Closely associated ..."

3. Ancient laws of Ireland by Ireland, John O'Donovan, Eugene O'Curry, William Neilson Hancock, Thaddeus O'Mahony, Alexander George Richey, William Maunsell Hennessy, Robert Atkinson (1901)
"I bring round ; bring about, effect, produce ; and so make, work in (metal) ; exercise, practice (theft, >Vc.), inflict (wound); take part in (games, play, ..."

4. Number by Development: A Method of Number Instruction by John Cameron Gray (1910)
"After the uneven division work is well started, the daily dictations should include "will make" work and "take away" also, provided, of course, ..."

5. International Trade: A Study of the Economic Advantages of Commerce by Harry Gunnison Brown (1914)
"... services.1 §3 The Make-Work Argument for Protection Closely associated with the wages argument is the argument that protection makes employment. ..."

6. The Unemployed by Geoffrey Drage (1894)
"CHAPTER III TEMPORARY AGENCIES WHOSE OBJECT IS TO MAKE WORK i. Recent Examples of Temporary Provision of Work of work by , . . 1-i Provision 55. ..."

7. Introduction to Economics by John Roscoe Turner (1919)
"The "make-work" fallacy. 6. Broken- pane philosophy. 7. "Good for the trade." 8. The "lump-of-labor" fallacy. 9. Question raised by the introduction of ..."

8. Elementary Principles of Economics by Irving Fisher (1912)
"The " Make-Work " Fallacy The blindness of workmen and others to the fact that the greater the efficiency of workingmen, the greater their own ultimate ..."

Other Resources:

Search for Make-work on Dictionary.com!Search for Make-work on Thesaurus.com!Search for Make-work on Google!Search for Make-work on Wikipedia!

Search