employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē How to pronounce employee (audio)
(ˌ)em-;
im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē How to pronounce employee (audio)
em-
variants or less commonly employe
: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

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 Among them was a Pinellas County Schools employee, WTSP reported. Kathryn Varn, Axios, 30 Sep. 2024 One employee told Fortune that he was hired remotely in May 2023—a month after the company announced its initial RTO policy. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2024 Structured check-in prompts ensure that one-to-one conversations between managers and their employees remain focused on employee growth and success. Lholznienkemper, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 While attending a Raising Cane’s employee appreciation conference in Cancún, Mexico, on Monday, Sept. 23, the rapper, 52, took part in a Q&A with the fast food establishment's owner and founder Todd Graves, where Snoop spoke highly of his spouse of 27 years. Nicholas Rice, People.com, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for employee 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'employee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of employee was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near employee

Cite this Entry

“Employee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/employee. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

employee

noun
em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē How to pronounce employee (audio) (ˌ)em- How to pronounce employee (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on employee

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