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

Just look at the standings, and look at how different the payrolls are for the best teams this season. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026

Kelly predicted that payrolls should grow 50,000 to 100,000 per month going forward — but July’s poor report and downward revision for earlier months call that into question. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026

The potential purchase of payroll platform Workday by private equity firm Silver Lake puts a solid floor under software stocks after the threat of artificial intelligence ran roughshod over the sector earlier this year, investors and analysts say. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026

Since then, the state has added about 100,000 positions to its payroll, increasing it by one-third, relative to population. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 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