employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē 

(ˌ)em-;

im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē 

em-

variants or less commonly employe

: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

Synonyms of employee

• worker

Examples of employee in a Sentence

A good boss listens to his employees.

The company has more than 2,000 employees worldwide.

Recent Examples on the Web

The work is segmented, each employee tasked with one of 180 watchmaking crafts. —Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

The employee deferral limit is $24,500 for 2026, up from $23,500 in 2025, the IRS announced in November. —Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2025

Transition team co-leader Erica Schumacher is a former City Hall employee and director of strategic initiatives and community relations with the Ramsey County Attorney’s office. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025

The committee says in August 2023, the then-Chief Information Security Officer, Director of Technical Operations, and the Lead IT Support Services Technician swapped out MCCA employee laptops for new IT equipment in the midst of two open investigations into the Authority. —Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -ee entry 1, perhaps after French employé

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē  (ˌ)em- 

im-ˈplȯi-ˌē, 

em-

: one who works for another for wages or a salary

Legal Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee

variants also employe

: a person usually below the executive level who is hired by another to perform a service especially for wages or salary and is under the other's control see also respondeat superior compare independent contractor

Note: In determining whether an individual is an employee, courts look at several factors, including the nature of the compensation paid, provision for employee benefits, whether the hired party is in business, tax treatment of the hired party, source of the equipment used, and location of the work. Statutes, such as workers' compensation acts and labor laws, usually include a definition of employee as it is used in the statute.