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

Not payroll, not the ERP, where audit and compliance still make leaving genuinely hard. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Stocks were higher Friday , capping off a strong start to the month after the latest nonfarm payrolls report showed a surprising loss of jobs in July . — Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026

The salary cap limits what teams can spend on player payroll to ensure parity and prevent the wealthiest teams from outspending smaller-market teams to acquire the best players. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

The economy lost 23,000 payroll jobs in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, as businesses contended with the energy supply shock from the war with Iran. — Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 7 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