payroll

noun

pay·​roll ˈpā-ˌrōl 

1

: a paymaster's or employer's list of those entitled to pay and of the amounts due to each

2

: the sum necessary for distribution to those on a payroll

also : the money to be distributed

Examples of payroll in a Sentence

They cut him from their payroll.

He's the manager of a baseball team with a $50 million payroll.

Businesses are keeping their payrolls low by embracing new technologies.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Justice Department also noted that Ereg's wife, Najmo Ahmed, who worked at the business and received payroll payments directly from Feeding Our Future, pleaded guilty last year to money laundering charges and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. —Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026

Social Security and Medicare Part A are funded through dedicated payroll taxes and taxes on benefits. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 June 2026

However, the initiative does not stipulate how dollars diverted from payroll must be spent. —Kff Health News, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

Even after the trust funds are depleted, ongoing payroll taxes would still finance the bulk of benefits. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing payroll

• payroll deduction
• payroll tax

Rhymes for payroll

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

payroll

noun

pay·​roll ˈpā-ˌrōl 

1

: a list of persons entitled to receive pay with the amounts due to each

2

: the amount of money necessary to pay those on a payroll