payroll

noun

pay·​roll ˈpā-ˌrōl 

1

: a paymaster's or employer's list of those entitled to pay and of the amounts due to each

2

: the sum necessary for distribution to those on a payroll

also : the money to be distributed

Examples of payroll in a Sentence

They cut him from their payroll.

He's the manager of a baseball team with a $50 million payroll.

Businesses are keeping their payrolls low by embracing new technologies.

Recent Examples on the Web

The fund helps cover things like payroll and lease payments and prioritizes restaurants that don’t have a digital footprint or access to fundraising support. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026

These companies avoid payroll taxes and are not required to offer health benefits, contributing to higher rates of uninsurance, Medicaid enrollment, and Essential Plan use. —Stuart Appelbaum, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026

Addressing questions on potential job cuts, Elhedery told CNBC's Emily Tan that HSBC was targeting about 8% reduction in payroll costs, but stressed the bank had not not set specific headcount reduction targets. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026

The Padres, whose market size is by all measures in the bottom six in MLB and whose television deal pays them some $305 million less annually than the Dodgers’ regional network deal, have the league’s eighth-highest payroll ($229 million). —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing payroll

• payroll deduction
• payroll tax

Rhymes for payroll

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

payroll

noun

pay·​roll ˈpā-ˌrōl 

1

: a list of persons entitled to receive pay with the amounts due to each

2

: the amount of money necessary to pay those on a payroll