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 stadium is being built to make Sacramento a turnkey market for promotion out of the USL, which plays in smaller stadiums of roughly 10,000 fans across the country and pays players a fraction of MLS payrolls. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026

Carey, the president and CEO of Hawthorne, testified that, through bankruptcy court, his business has been able to make payroll that was past due. —Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026

The Union have the lowest payroll in MLS, according to MLS Players Association figures, though those figures do not account for transfer fees or infrastructure spending (Philadelphia is among the biggest investors in the league in their youth facilities). —Tom Bogert, New York Times, 27 May 2026

The proposal would also create penalties for clubs that do not spend revenue-sharing payments on team payroll. —Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 27 May 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