hire

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: payment for the temporary use of something
b
: payment for labor or personal services : wages
2
a
: the act or an instance of hiring (see hire entry 2)
laws regarding the hire of workers
b
: the state of being hired : employment
3
British : rental
the hire of equipment
often used attributively
a hire car
4
: one who is hired
starting wage for the new hires

hire

2 of 2

verb

hired; hiring

transitive verb

1
a
: to engage the personal services of for a set sum
hire a crew
b
: to engage the temporary use of for a fixed sum
hire a hall
2
: to grant the personal services of or temporary use of for a fixed sum
hire themselves out
3
: to get done for pay
hire the mowing done

intransitive verb

: to take employment
hire out as a guide during the tourist season
hirer noun
Phrases
for hire or less commonly on hire
: available for use or service in return for payment
They have boats for hire.
willing to do farm work for hire
Choose the Right Synonym for hire

hire, let, lease, rent, charter mean to engage or grant for use at a price.

hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

Examples of hire in a Sentence

Noun The company has a few new hires. The hire of a car and other equipment will of course incur a supplementary charge. Verb She had very little office experience, so the company wouldn't hire her. We hired someone to clean the office once a week. The company isn't hiring right now.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
On the one hand, these hires already know the business and culture. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 In previous years, IATSE has prioritized touchpoints like wage increases and higher living allowances for nearby and distant hires. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Last month’s total landed slightly below economists’ expectations for a net gain of 150,000 jobs but above ADP’s January tally, which was upwardly revised to 111,000 hires. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 But Miller watched Gottlieb, in her hire, insist upon provisions for the program – control of the staff, of strength and conditioning, pitching her vision of running USC like a pro team. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2024 Fletcher Place fine dining restaurant Bluebeard announced the hire of new executive chef Alan Sternberg on Friday, marking the end of a nearly 12-year run with chef Abbi Merriss. The Indianapolis Star, 24 Feb. 2024 Clearly, employers are already looking within their ranks for quality hires. Laura Coccaro, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Washington Commanders – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina Don't go overboard in connecting dots between the hire of Kliff Kingsbury and a potential trade for Caleb Williams, the former pupil of Washington's new offensive coordinator. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 All new hires in the city government would be enrolled in Social Security. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Offering remote work opportunities broadens hiring pools and helps reduce turnover. Ebony Flake, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024 Grazer and Howard, who had previously produced documentaries before launching the division, hired Bernstein in 2018 for not only her taste but her ability to get deals done. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 Prior to the partnership, the singer-songwriter hired an INPINK videographer to shoot her tour last year and ran a photography campaign with INPINK to find a female photographer to take press photos. Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 In an attempt to bolster sales, Walmart hired Denise Incandela as executive vice president of fashion and private brands. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 As part of that hiring blitz, the company introduced enhanced benefits and an Employee Assistance Program. Chris Morris, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Visser, hired to catch a cheating spouse and her lover in the act, ends up double-crossing and killing his client, emptying his safe and framing the wife for the murder. Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 Jones offered amendments to his resolution, including removing the request to hire a housing coordinator, specifying criteria for the task force members and adding a section supporting the city's current efforts that borrowed largely from the second resolution. Stacy Ryburn, arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2024 The city of San Diego also recently hired the firm, based in Roseville outside Sacramento, to find its next fire chief. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English hȳr; akin to Old Saxon hūria hire

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hire was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hire

Cite this Entry

“Hire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hire. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hire

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: payment for temporary use
b
: payment for services : wages
2
a
: the act of hiring
b
: the state of being hired : employment

hire

2 of 2 verb
hired; hiring
1
: employ entry 1 sense 2
hire a new crew
2
: to get the temporary use of for a set sum
hire a hall
3
: to take a job
hired out as a cook
hirer noun

Legal Definition

hire

1 of 2 noun
1
: payment for the temporary use of something or for labor or services
2
a
: the act or an instance of hiring
from the date of hire until now
b
: the state of being hired : employment
while he was in the hire of the defendant
3
: one who is hired
all new hires will enjoy the same medical benefits

hire

2 of 2 verb
hired; hiring

transitive verb

1
: to engage the personal services of or the temporary use of for a fixed sum
2
: to grant the personal services of or the temporary use of

intransitive verb

: to take employment
hirer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hire

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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