out of works

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "out of works" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be a misinterpretation of "out of work," which is used to describe someone who is unemployed. Example: "After the company downsized, many employees found themselves out of work."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Poignant, relevant and intellectually engaging, it has managed to create a coherent exhibition out of works by 130 artists from 41 countries a rare achievement.The Istanbul Biennial is held in two huge former warehouses on the banks of the Bosporus.

The Economist

Those claiming out of works benefits in the north-east of Scotland rocketed by 72% in December and the total number of UK oil-related jobs lost could already be 70,000, with some predicting 200,000 out of 400,000 could eventually go.

The Guardian

Of course, people rarely get the same meaning out of works of art that the artist intends.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Some out-of-work protesters are depressed.

The New York Times

Out-of-work general managers, Holmgren said.

The New York Times - Sports

asked an out-of-work man.

The New York Times

An out-of-work miner walks along a railway line.

Independent

Those clients are almost all out-of-work single mothers.

The New York Times

He looks exactly like an out-of-work Irish actor.

The New Yorker

Ms. McAdams, 31, is an out-of-work librarian.

The New York Times

Some 35% of adults were claiming out-of-work benefits.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "out of work" to describe someone who is unemployed. "Out of works" is not a standard or grammatically correct phrase in English. If you want to use "out of works" check the context carefully, it is probably wrong.

Common error

Avoid using "out of works" when referring to unemployment. The correct and widely accepted form is "out of work". "Out of works" may be interpreted as a pluralization error.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "out of works" functions incorrectly as a prepositional phrase. Ludwig indicates that this is not correct standard English. The correct expression to indicate unemployed is "out of work".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Science

34%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "out of works" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. According to Ludwig, it is a misinterpretation of "out of work", which correctly describes someone who is unemployed. While there are limited examples of its usage, these are likely errors rather than established idioms. For clarity and correctness, it's best to use alternatives such as "out of work", ""unemployed"", or ""jobless"". The register is considered neutral, yet the incorrectness of the expression damages its appropriateness for professional or formal communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unemployed

Direct synonym referring to the state of not having a job.

jobless

Another synonym emphasizing the lack of employment.

without employment

A more formal way to describe the state of being unemployed.

out of a job

Similar to "out of work", indicating the loss of a job.

seeking employment

Focuses on the action of looking for work.

between jobs

Implies a temporary state of unemployment.

looking for work

Describes the active search for employment.

deriving from work

Focuses on the idea of something originating from labor or effort.

arising from labor

Similar to deriving from work, focusing on origin from work.

stemming from effort

Emphasizes the origin of something as a result of effort.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say someone is unemployed?

The correct way to say someone is unemployed is to say they are "out of work", "unemployed" or "jobless". The phrase "out of works" is not standard English.

Is "out of works" ever correct?

While highly unusual, "out of works" might theoretically be correct in a very specific context where you're literally discussing physical works of art or craftsmanship that are no longer in production or use. However, in almost all common scenarios, "out of work" is the phrase you need.

What does "out of work" mean?

"Out of work" means unemployed; not currently having a job. It's commonly used to describe someone who has lost their job or is between jobs.

How can I use "out of work" in a sentence?

You can use "out of work" in a sentence like this: "Many people are out of work due to the recent economic downturn."