employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē 

(ˌ)em-;

im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē 

em-

variants or less commonly employe

: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

Synonyms of employee

• worker

Examples of employee in a Sentence

A good boss listens to his employees.

The company has more than 2,000 employees worldwide.

Recent Examples on the Web

Workers like the employee CBS News Detroit spoke to were counting on this money to pay bills, or in his case, help pay for a wedding. —Julia Avant, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

LinkedIn data reveals that employees who combine hard and soft skills get promoted about 8% faster than those who focus only on technical abilities, and skills like communication, teamwork and problem solving are linked to promotions up to 11% faster. —Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

The new location puts the company closer to PortMiami downtown and will bring employees from the company’s cargo and cruise divisions together under one roof, said Rubén Rodríguez, CEO of the company’s North American cruise division. —Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026

The deal might be better understood as a pay-for-play scheme, which the NCAA prohibits, or even an employment contract in which Duke tried to enforce a noncompete clause to block the employee (Mensah) from joining a rival company (Miami). —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -ee entry 1, perhaps after French employé

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē  (ˌ)em- 

im-ˈplȯi-ˌē, 

em-

: one who works for another for wages or a salary

Legal Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee

variants also employe

: a person usually below the executive level who is hired by another to perform a service especially for wages or salary and is under the other's control see also respondeat superior compare independent contractor

Note: In determining whether an individual is an employee, courts look at several factors, including the nature of the compensation paid, provision for employee benefits, whether the hired party is in business, tax treatment of the hired party, source of the equipment used, and location of the work. Statutes, such as workers' compensation acts and labor laws, usually include a definition of employee as it is used in the statute.