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 scheme fell apart in October, according to the civil suit, after KinderHaus’ principal needed to use her own personal savings to cover payroll. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026

Their payroll is second only to the Dodgers’. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026

But internally, Lee is waiting to get a clearer picture on the agentic tools offered by his enterprise resource planning, payroll, customer relationship management, and other software providers. —John Kell, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026

One hundred years later, the number of such animals on the payroll had collapsed to 700,000. —Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 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