Meanings
- PhilippinesderogatoryslangsometimesuncountableA notional system of time which others sometimes derogatorily ascribe to Filipinos, and which they sometimes jocularly ascribe to themselves, to account for their supposed tendency to be leisurely, not rigorous about scheduling, and often tardy.
Another issue that may arise in counseling or psychotherapy is the notion of “Filipino time.” Filipino Americans may have a different time orientation from the general American population and often may arrive late to appointments and meetings.
2011, Kevin L. Nadal, Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 2421 more example
What is time? What is "Filipino" time? How can we manage "Filipino" time? Time is a succession of moments with a starting point and an ending point. Thus when we say that the working time is eight hours, it can mean that the work starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. This is the western concept of time. It is horizontal.
1985, Tomas Quintin D. Andres, Management by Filipino Values: a Sequel to «Understanding Filipino Values», Cellar Book Shop, →ISBN, page 181Synonyms: Pinoy time
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA notional system of time which others sometimes derogatorily ascribe to Filipinos, and which they sometimes jocularly ascribe to themselves, to account for their supposed tendency to be leisurely, not rigorous about scheduling, and often tardy.
Cite this entry
Filipino time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Filipino%20time
“Filipino time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Filipino%20time. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Filipino time,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Filipino%20time.
Source: Filipino time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.