24/7
or 24‐7, 24×7, twen·ty-four sev·en
[ twen-tee-fawr sev-uhn, ‐fohr‐, twuhn-tee‐ ]
/ ˈtwɛn tiˌfɔr ˈsɛv ən, ‐ˌfoʊr‐, ˈtwʌn ti‐ /
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adverb
continually; constantly: They're together 24/7.
adjective
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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
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Origin of 24/7
First recorded in 1985–90; shortening of twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
Words nearby 24/7
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Cultural definitions for 24/7
24/7
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week: “This convenience store is open 24/7.” The term, which also appears as “24-7,” can be used figuratively to mean “with great time and effort”: “We worked on the design 24/7 in order to complete the work on time.” This phrase was coined in the late twentieth century.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.