: literary, artistic, or professional work done on order usually according to formula and in conformity with commercial standards

Examples of hackwork in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If this hysterical hackwork has any soul at all, Crowe just about saves it. Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Apr. 2023 The books sold well but were uneven in quality, tending at times toward hackwork. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hackwork was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near hackwork

Cite this Entry

“Hackwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hackwork. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

: literary, artistic, or professional work done on order usually according to a set standard
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