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

Ohtani, a Japanese icon who’s coming off of his third consecutive MVP season and last fall won his second consecutive World Series championship as a member of the Dodgers, said the team’s outsized payroll was the result of committed ownership’s wanting to deliver for the team’s fan base. —Allan Smith, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026

The Harden-for-Garland swap, as far as the Cavs’ payroll is concerned, was not all that complicated. —Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect the nonfarm payrolls report to show a gain of 60,000 jobs for the month, following an increase of 50,000 in December. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026

Those players now combine for a valuable $10 million on the payroll — yet as the Knicks approach the All-Star break, none of them are part of Brown’s dedicated rotation. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 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