employ

verb

em·ploy | \im-ˈplȯi,

em-\

employed; employing; employs

Definition of employ

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

noun

em·ploy | \im-ˈplȯi,

ˈim-ˌplȯi, ˈem-ˌplȯi

Definition of employ (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : use, purpose

b : occupation, job

2 : the state of being employed in the city's employ

Other Words from employ Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about employ

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Synonyms & Antonyms for employ

Synonyms: Verb

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

Synonyms: Noun

employment, engagement, hire

Antonyms: Verb

ax (or axe), can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

Antonyms: Noun

joblessness, nonemployment, unemployment

Choose the Right Synonym for employ

Verb

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

Epsilon employs over 8,000 people in 70 offices world-wide, according to Alliance Data. — Kimberly Chin, WSJ, "Alliance Data Weighs Sale of Epsilon Marketing Business," 27 Nov. 2018 Other brands have employed the strategy of encouraging sales for charitable purposes. — Aditi Shrikant, Vox, "Why some brands aren’t offering Black Friday deals," 23 Nov. 2018 Singh employed the English architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester for the planning, who looked to his colleague Sir Edwin Lutyens’ work for inspiration. — Noor Brara, Vogue, "See the Palace Where Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Will Get Married," 13 Nov. 2018 Today, the agency employs 2,442 people across 17 divisions in major American cities, plus a forensic laboratory in Dulles, Washington. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Technology of Pipe Bombs and Suspicious Packages, Explained," 25 Oct. 2018 In the operation, the army has employed a force known as the Abdelsalam group, with several thousand Bedouin, deployed in central parts of Sinai. — Brian Rohan, Fox News, "Egypt arming Sinai tribesmen in fight against Islamic State," 27 Sep. 2018 ServiceMaster, which moved its corporate headquarters downtown, will eventually employ 1,200, according to the company. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Memphis downtown boom fueled by riverfront city’s rich history," 25 Sep. 2018 The 47-year-old plant employs hundreds of people from the Navajo and Hopi tribes in the area. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Potential buyers for largest coal plant in the Western US back out," 21 Sep. 2018 In addition, the rules will still employ DeVos' policy of using mediation to reach resolutions, meaning the accused can cross-examine the victim. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Campus Sexual Misconduct: Betsy DeVos Has a Track Record of Protecting the Accused," 30 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Those investigators can come from within the employ of MLB or hired outside investigators. — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, "Major League Baseball will investigate claims of racism against the Mariners," 13 Nov. 2018 What’s more, many public figures who may be potential targets of attacks have mail-screening areas in their employ, staffed with experts who know how to identify suspicious packages. — Alex Ward, Vox, "2 possible reasons the pipe bombs didn’t explode," 26 Oct. 2018 The cruise industry gets knocked around for the long hours and often hectic conditions of the people in its employ. — Michael Ian Black, New York Times, "Cruises Are So Uncool They Are Cool," 3 July 2018 Beyond the broadcasters’ exit poll team of Curtice and Fisher, several other leading U.K. academics also worked for hedge funds—either directly or for the pollsters in their employ. — Cam Simpson, Bloomberg.com, "Brexit’s Big Short: How Pollsters Helped Hedge Funds Beat the Crash," 25 June 2018 Kawhi Leonard awoke Friday still under the employ of the Spurs, despite rumblings leading to Thursday’s draft the team might be compelled to deal its disillusioned superstar. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Spurs aim to hang onto Leonard — for now," 22 June 2018 Her whole employ was saying and doing outrageous things to get attention. — Lisa Gutierrez, kansascity, ""A teaching moment.' Valerie Jarrett and others respond to 'Roseanne' controversy," 29 May 2018 Among the people Moe and Polly Wiesen probably knew in those days were the Feinsteins, another prominent family in the garment industry, who had a domestic in their employ named Mary Ann Moroney. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer long wondered if he's related to JFK; at 72, he learned the truth," 12 May 2018 But, there are many stupider things written by even smarter people who continue to keep their employs. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "The Supremacy of the Internet Mob," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'employ.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.