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

Outside of the public sector and unionized shops, salaries in North America have long been considered a private matter between employer and employee.

—Amanda Stephenson

Examples of employer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The average deductible in family coverage offered by employers is $3,762 per person, according to KFF, while the average deductible in Affordable Care Act plans jumped 37% this year to a similar amount, $3,786. — Julie Appleby, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Food processors like Lamb Weston, a major French fry supplier to McDonald’s, are the town’s largest employers. — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

There have been multiple sightings, but up to this point, neither of them have addressed whether this is strictly an employer-employee relationship or if there's a classic QB1-model dynamic taking place. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

As longevity increases and millions more Americans enter their later years, that infrastructure gap will become increasingly expensive—not just for families, but for employers, governments and the broader economy. — Samir Shah, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

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