employer

noun

em·​ploy·​er im-ˈplȯi-ər 

em-

plural employers

: one that employs or makes use of something or somebody

… it is one of the most aggressive employers of the dreaded pop-up ads that effloresce across one's video screen like a sudden and unpleasant rash …

—Christopher Orr

especially : a person or company that provides a job paying wages or a salary to one or more people

Private household workers usually work in pleasant and comfortable homes or apartments. Most are dayworkers who live in their own homes and travel to work. Some live in the home of their employer, generally with their own room and bath.

—Occupational Outlook Handbook

One of Hiroshima's main contributions to the post-war economic miracle of Japan is the Mazda car plant, the single largest employer in Hiroshima.

—Michael Dillon

… choose a classic health-insurance plan—if your employer still makes one available.

—Laura Johannes

Examples of employer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Of that average total, employers contributed about $19,200 and workers contributed the rest. —NPR, 20 Oct. 2025

Its federal guidance urging employers to cover fertility treatments is voluntary—so unlikely to lead to much change. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that only 75% of employees worldwide trust their employers to act with integrity—a three-point decline from previous years. —Rasmus Hougaard, Harvard Business Review, 20 Oct. 2025

One study on ghosting in a hiring context—say, an employer’s nonresponse to a job applicant—found that those who were ghosted had more self-esteem than those who got personal feedback. —Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing employer

• equal opportunities employer
• equal opportunity employer

Rhymes for employer

• destroyer
• foyer
• oyer
• multiemployer

Kids Definition

employer

noun

em·​ploy·​er

im-ˈplȯi(-ə)r

: one that employs others

Legal Definition

employer

noun

em·​ploy·​er

: one that hires others to perform a service or engage in an activity in exchange for compensation see also respondeat superior