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

Harris claimed a narrow victory in the 2018 District 9 race but gave up his seat amid credible claims of ballot harvesting that ended with felony charges for one of his campaign employees. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026

Horvath on Tuesday also said LAHSA previously denied an offer from the county to provide additional employees during the transition to the new department. —Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026

Some employees publicly expressed their frustrations. —Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026

Within newsrooms themselves, media companies are rushing to adopt tools many of their employees are wary of using. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026

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.