workstation

USAGE SUMMARY

'workstation' is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it when referring to a desk, or a dedicated area, intended for the completion of work tasks, such as in an office or a laboratory. Example: We converted the back room into a workstation for our new employee.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

My favourite level was set in an office, with the table doubling as a desk: upend your workstation at just the right moment and you'll send co-workers plummeting out of the window to their deaths.

The Guardian - Travel

This makes it easy to ship X-45As around—12 crates can fit inside a single C-5 transport aircraft and allows them to be stored for several years at a time (since they do not need to be flown in peacetime for training purposes).The operator's workstation for the X-45A consists of a powerful computer with two flat-screen monitors, a keyboard and a mouse.

The Economist

The greatest of those is simply that old ways die hard.More optimistically, Dr Jensen has a vision of a "chemical workstation" where each computer card would have chemical and fluidic components in addition to the traditional electronic elements.

The Economist

It is operated from a computer workstation, rather than by traditional aircraft controls, and has an automatic landing system.

The Economist

Ms Rutkowska reckons corporations will be its primary market.By separating work and personal domains on a corporate workstation, "Qubes could significantly increase the level of protection of corporate secrets and IP".

The Economist

A surgeon sitting at a workstation manipulates a set of joystick-type controls while watching video and other images.

The Economist

In 1991 Dr Gelernter and his colleagues at Yale demonstrated the value of this approach by linking 14 small "workstation" computers to create a cluster that was as powerful as a supercomputer, but cost a fraction of the price.

The Economist

Its analytical legwork, originally undertaken by a humble Sun Microsystems workstation wedged between the fridge and the coffee machine in BlackRock's one-room office, was the key to the firm's early success as an asset manager specialising in bonds.By 2008, after 20 years of growth and the acquisition of part of Merrill Lynch, BlackRock had more than $1 trillion under management.

The Economist

A workstation isn't a lathe, but is it "over-enforcement" to leave the workers' seating, lighting and desk heights uninspected for so long?

The Economist

Back at Ms. Stark's workstation, the image of an extremely faded letter with no discernible address appeared on the screen.

The New York Times

For example, the design engineer's workstation should be linked into the overall system so that design specifications and manufacturing instructions may be sent automatically to the shop floor.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a "workstation", specify its purpose (e.g., graphic design workstation) to provide more context to the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "workstation" and "desktop" interchangeably. Although a workstation is a type of desktop, it typically refers to a more powerful computer used for specialized tasks.

Linguistic Context

Workstation primarily functions as a noun, designating either a specific area or a high-performance computer system tailored for professional tasks. Ludwig examples show both senses being used in news articles and encyclopedic entries.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Encyclopedias

35%

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "workstation" commonly refers to either a physical workspace or a high-performance computer setup. As Ludwig examples show, it's used in both general news and technical contexts, and usually describes an area or tool for performing work. While the term is grammatically correct, it should not be confused with the term "desktop" because they're not always interchangeable. The term is very common in technical documents, news, and media.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

desktop computer setup

Refers to the entire arrangement of computer hardware and peripherals at a workspace.

computing setup

Focuses on the ensemble of computational resources.

computer terminal

Emphasizes the input/output device aspect, particularly in networked systems.

technical setup

More technical term for describing the "workstation".

work area

Focuses on the physical space where work is performed, rather than the computer itself.

designated workspace

Highlights the assigned nature of the work area.

station

A shorter version of "workstation" that refers to a work place.

office desk

Specifies the furniture used as a workstation in an office environment.

digital work environment

Highlights digital tools and the way they are used to create a digital working environment.

workbench

More technical term for describing the "workstation".

FAQs

How is "workstation" typically used in a sentence?

The term "workstation" is generally used to refer to a specific area or setup dedicated to work, often involving a computer. For example, "Each employee has their own assigned workstation." You can also see it used to describe high-performance computer systems.

What's the difference between a "workstation" and a regular desktop computer?

While both are desktop computers, a "workstation" is usually more powerful and designed for professional tasks like video editing or 3D modeling. Standard desktops are often used for general tasks. However, these days the distinction is blurry, you can say that both terms are interchangeable.

What are some alternatives to the word "workstation"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "desktop computer setup", "work area", or "computing setup".

Can "workstation" refer to a physical place or just a computer?

"Workstation" can refer to both. It can mean the physical area where someone works or the computer system they use at that location. The specific meaning depends on the context.