employee

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noun em·ploy·ee \im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē, (ˌ)em-; im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē, em-\

variants: or less commonly

employe

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Definition of employee

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

See employee defined for English-language learners

See employee defined for kids

Examples of employee in a Sentence

A good boss listens to his employees.
The company has more than 2,000 employees worldwide.

Recent Examples of employee from the Web

Others shared similar stories of employers who pushed back whenever employees advocated for themselves.

— casey quinlan, Glamour, "Mental Health Matters, But Millennial Women Are Still Afraid to Speak Up," 20 July 2017
DCFS policy generally bars supervisors from asking employees directly under their authority for monetary donations, but Colyer asked Cook County DCFS workers to also help.

— david jackson, chicagotribune.com, "New details emerge of former DCFS head's controversial contracts, hires," 19 July 2017
More from 'Dish': Longtime J. Harrod's employees buy Prospect mainstay Tell Dana!

— dana mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "'Let them eat burgers,' proclaims new Portage House menu," 19 July 2017
Fifty employees and 16 external advisers would have to be involved.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Qualcomm loses appeal over documents demanded by European anti-trust regulator," 17 July 2017
Peltz's clash with P&G leadership means additional uncertainty for workers, including more than 10,000 employees in Greater Cincinnati.

— alexander coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Hedge fund hires former P&G exec for siege," 17 July 2017
Bridal retailer Alfred Angelo suddenly filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, leaving many employees in a hurry to pack their bags and close up shop.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Alfred Angelo Closed Its Stores and Brides Are Rightly Bugging Out," 15 July 2017
Properly Fitting Bra Any Victoria’s Secret saleswoman worth her salt can deftly wield that Pepto pink measuring tape, but the bra-fitting experience at Nordstrom, where employees go through a multiweek certification process, is revelatory.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
With only two sewing machines and five employees, founder Hamilton Carhartt established the clothing company in 1889 just outside of Detroit in Dearborn, Michigan.

— tonya riley, Esquire, "What It Means to Be a Working-Class Clothing Brand in America Today," 14 July 2017

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

First Known Use of employee

1822

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

EMPLOYEE Defined for English Language Learners

employee

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noun

Definition of employee for English Language Learners

: a person who works for another person or for a company for wages or a salary

EMPLOYEE Defined for Kids

employee

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noun em·ploy·ee \im-ˌplȯi-ˈē\

Definition of employee for Students

: a person who is paid to work for another

Law Dictionary

employee

noun em·ploy·ee

variants: also

employe

Legal Definition of employee

: 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

Additional Notes on employee

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.