employ

1 of 2

verb

em·​ploy im-ˈplȯi 

em-

employed; employing; employs

transitive verb

1

a

: to make use of (someone or something inactive)

employ a pen for sketching

b

: to use (something, such as time) advantageously

a job that employed her skills

c(1)

: to use or engage the services of

(2)

: to provide with a job that pays wages or a salary

2

: to devote to or direct toward a particular activity or person

employed all her energies to help the poor

employ

2 of 2

noun

em·​ploy im-ˈplȯi 

ˈim-ˌplȯi,

ˈem-ˌplȯi 

1

a

: use, purpose

b

: occupation, job

2

: the state of being employed

in the city's employ

Synonyms

Verb

• assume
• engage
• fee [chiefly Scottish]
• hire
• lay on [chiefly British]
• pay
• place
• recruit
• retain
• sign (up or on)
• take on

Noun

• employment
• engagement
• hire

Choose the Right Synonym for employ

use, employ, utilize mean to put into service especially to attain an end.

use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end.

willing to use any means to achieve her ends

employ suggests the use of a person or thing that is available but idle, inactive, or disengaged.

looking for better ways to employ their skills

utilize may suggest the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something.

an old wooden bucket utilized as a planter

Examples of employ in a Sentence

Verb

The company is accused of employing questionable methods to obtain the contract.

You should find better ways to employ your time.

I had to employ a lawyer to review the contract.

It's a small company, employing a staff of only 20.

Noun

while you're under our employ, you can't do outside work for our competitors

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Becker and colleagues employed a Pavlov-like research design to figure out whether people can decouple the sensation of pain from the experience of that pain. —Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Instead, Lloyd employed a bare stage and an ensemble of actors dressed all in black. —Jenelle Riley, Variety, 9 June 2025

Noun

Lowe’s employs about 300,000 people, mostly hourly. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 21 May 2025

Detailing his gofer duties today to the court, Kaplan is known to have left Combs’ employ after a year, in some part due to the violence he is said to have seen. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English emploien, emplien "to apply or devote (a thing to a purpose), apply (oneself) to a task, make use of, expend," borrowed from Anglo-French empleier, emploier, emplier "to entangle, fabricate, put to use, devote (oneself) to" (continental Middle French also "to make use of, apply, occupy [time], expend [money], use the services of [a person]"), going back to Latin implicāre "to fold about itself, entwine, entangle, involve, embroil" — more at implicate

Note: This verb does not appear in Middle English before the fifteenth century, and the predominance of the form with -oi-, retained in early Modern English, most likely reflects ongoing influence of continental French. — Latin implicāre gave rise to a verb meaning "to use, make use of" in Gallo-Romance (Old Occitan emplegar in addition to French empleier), Italian (impiegare) and Catalan (emplegar). Spanish emplear is an early borrowing from Old French. Compare imply.

Noun

borrowed from French emploi, going back to Middle French, "use, service," noun derivative of emploier "to put to use, employ entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing employ

• in someone's employ
• re-employ

Rhymes for employ

• ahoy
• alloy
• annoy
• carboy
• convoy
• cowboy
• decoy
• deploy
• destroy
• employe
• enjoy
• kilroy

Kids Definition

employ

1 of 2 verb

em·​ploy im-ˈplȯi 

1

: to make use of : use

2

a

: to use or obtain the services of

employ a lawyer to draw up a will

b

: to provide with a job that pays wages or a salary

employ a staff of twenty

3

: to use or direct toward a particular goal

employ all of your energies to getting the job done

employable

-ə-bəl

adjective

employ

2 of 2 noun

: employment especially for wages or a salary

generous to people in their employ