employee

noun

em·ploy·ee | \ im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē

, (ˌ)em-; im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē, em-

variants: or less commonly employe

Definition of employee

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

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about employee

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Synonyms & Antonyms for employee

Synonyms

hand, hireling, jobholder, retainer, worker

Antonyms

employer, gaffer [British]

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

Cable installation Most cable companies actually prevent their employees from accepting tips, so there’s no need to worry. — Nikhita Mahtani, House Beautiful, "How Much Should I Tip for This Service?," 30 Apr. 2019 Little to say Take, for example, Swan’s letter to his employees, partners, and customers. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel makes Bob Swan its permanent CEO, maintaining a slow, steady course away from the PC," 31 Jan. 2019 Voice gives employees, and personal users, their own phone number. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "5 Google G Suite changes that will improve your life," 11 Apr. 2019 This quote came back to haunt Matt, especially when Amy hinted last year that her ex-husband's relationship with his current girlfriend and former Roloff Farms employee, Caryn Chandler, may have contributed to their eventual divorce. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "The Real Reason Why 'Little People, Big World' Stars Amy and Matt Roloff Divorced," 10 Apr. 2019 Current employees, who have asked to remain unnamed, mentioned frequent film screenings at the Buckingham Palace cinema, which sometimes take place even before the movies hit the big screen. — Annabelle Spranklen, Town & Country, "What It's Really Like to Work for the Royal Family," 6 Apr. 2019 Unfortunately, that bill also allowed the arming of school employees, which was not requested by the Stoneman Douglas survivors, but was highly desired by the National Rifle Association. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "A Year After the Parkland Shooting, Has Anything Really Changed?," 14 Feb. 2019 All show employees, including showrunners, are required to take annual non-harassment training. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "An 'NCIS: New Orleans' Executive Producer Was Fired From the Show," 3 Feb. 2019 In certain circles, today’s San Francisco gets a bad rep, shunned for becoming a playground for tech company employees and relinquishing quirk in favor of sheen. — Asad Syrkett, Curbed, "Year in Curbed: The best of House Calls," 26 Dec. 2018

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.

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Dictionary Entries near employee

employer's liability insurance

employers' association

Statistics for employee

Last Updated

10 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for employee

The first known use of employee was in 1822

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More Definitions for employee

employee

noun

English Language Learners Definition of employee

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

See the full definition for employee in the English Language Learners Dictionary

employee

noun

em·ploy·ee | \ im-ˌplȯi-ˈē

Kids Definition of employee

: a person who is paid to work for another

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

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.