employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē 

(ˌ)em-;

im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē 

em-

variants or less commonly employe

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

Synonyms of employee

• worker

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

Central and regional office employees with the least seniority are most at risk. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026

One day prior to his arrest, a report from The Hollywood Reporter saw employees at several New Orleans businesses claim that LaBeouf had been showing up at various drinking establishments in the city's Uptown neighborhood, on an apparent bar crawl that began on Thursday. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Feb. 2026

The project works to ensure equal opportunity for diverse employees, entrepreneurs and consumers. —Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

The new law prevents state agencies and employees from entering into 287(g) agreements and orders that all existing agreements end by July 2026. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -ee entry 1, perhaps after French employé

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē  (ˌ)em- 

im-ˈplȯi-ˌē, 

em-

: one who works for another for wages or a salary

Legal Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee

variants also employe

: 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.