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

• 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

But companies that don’t have an issue with undocumented workers are facing the friction of having employees pulled aside by ICE officials. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025

The airport therapy dog program started in 2022 and has been a passenger and employee favorite ever since, said Matt Morawski, director of communications for the Wayne County Airport Authority. —Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 12 Oct. 2025

Starbase includes SpaceX's construction and launch site, employee housing, the Ad Astra private school and various other amenities. —Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025

Rogers has been a microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration for 16 years and is now among hundreds of thousands of federal employees not working. —Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 12 Oct. 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.