out-of-work
UK[ˌaʊt‿əv ˈwɜːk]US[ˌaʊt‿əv ˈwɜːrk]
adj
without a paid job; unemployed
Morpheme Breakdown
out
of
work
out
away from
of
belonging to
work
employment
Etymology
the compound adjective 'out-of-work' is a relatively modern english formation, built entirely from native old english elements. it follows a transparent prepositional logic: 'out of' signifies a state of being removed or excluded from something, here combined with the noun 'work' in its specific sense of paid employment or occupation. the phrase literally describes the condition of being outside the sphere of work, which evolved directly into its contemporary meaning of being unemployed. its construction exemplifies how english can create precise descriptive terms through the straightforward combination of common prepositions and nouns.
Analysis
Structure: out (away from) + of (belonging to) + work (employment)
out: old english origin, from 'ūt', meaning 'away from, outside'. functions as an adverb/preposition indicating separation or external state.
of: old english origin, from 'of', meaning 'away, away from, from'. functions as a preposition indicating origin, separation, or belonging.
work: old english origin, from 'weorc', meaning 'something done, labor, employment'. functions as a noun denoting activity involving effort.
Examples
the factory closure left hundreds of people out-of-work.
she has been out-of-work for six months and is actively seeking a new position.
the government introduced new programs to assist out-of-work actors in the industry.