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

Fewer employers offer health insurance to workers who retire before 65, the year Medicare benefits begin. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 23 May 2025

While the states Wage and Hour Act appears to prevent cities from enacting ordinances that dictate wage levels or working hours for employers, Fisher and Wilson said this section of the law has yet to be interpreted by the courts, leaving the legal landscape uncertain. —Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2025

The court ruled that contracts had been breached, and the agents’ new employer — WME Sports, a division of Endeavor — owed Excel a lot of money. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 22 May 2025

Making this provision permanent provides the predictability employers need to build robust, long-term education benefits, and gives employees a meaningful path toward financial stability. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 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