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as in use
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose the employment of the kitchen oven as a storage cupboard had predictably disastrous results

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun employment differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of employment are business, calling, métier, occupation, pursuit, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

When is business a more appropriate choice than employment?

While in some cases nearly identical to employment, business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

When would calling be a good substitute for employment?

In some situations, the words calling and employment are roughly equivalent. However, calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

When can métier be used instead of employment?

The meanings of métier and employment largely overlap; however, métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

In what contexts can occupation take the place of employment?

While the synonyms occupation and employment are close in meaning, occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

When is it sensible to use pursuit instead of employment?

The words pursuit and employment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

When might work be a better fit than employment?

Although the words work and employment have much in common, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of employment Algorithms automatically restrict travel, education, and employment. Tanner H. Jones, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025 There’s also potential interplay with federal employment law for athletes at private universities. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Research published in August by Stanford University found that, since 2022, employment for entry-level workers in sectors most reliant on AI, like customer service, accounting, and tech development, shrank by 13%. Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025 This one was about stuffing the New York Jets inside the gym bag Aaron Rodgers had slung over his right shoulder on his walk out of his former place of employment. Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for employment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for employment
Noun
  • Facial redness reduced by 14% with one application, and 52% after 12 weeks of daily use.
    Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Joseph Gladney, 26, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter with an enhancement for personal use of a firearm in the shooting death of 25-year-old Vinson Bragg, as well as a charge of threatening to kill another half-brother who lived in the family home.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • All of these have long been part of her life due to her profession, which dates back to her graduating from the Boston University College of Fine Arts in 1983 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater and her turns acting on soap operas like The Edge of Night and As the World Turns through the 1980s.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Love Aaron Lineweaver, who’s one of my dear friends in this profession and in life.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Cherrin was no longer in Hartig's employ at the time of publication and her attorney declined to comment.
    Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Naturally, the theft of the ghost shirt by the stooges in the employ of Roy Lee is accompanied by many deceased bodies — the first of the many bloodbaths in Americana, which has a distressingly expedient approach to on-screen carnage.
    Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The other end of the spectrum are breaks that happen when a single application of force is applied to the bone.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Green then explained the medical and industrial applications for these new knits.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In fact, as researchers led by MIT economist David Autor have found in examining 80 years of census data, most jobs today are in occupations that that didn’t exist in 1940.
    Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • He was born in the Soviet-occupation zone of Germany in 1945 -- one month before the end of World War II.
    Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Former President Barack Obama’s tenure marked a turning point.
    Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But Gen Z’s brief job tenures are much more complicated than what meets the eye; entry-level job postings have fallen 29% since January 2024, and alongside fewer opportunities, many are feeling underprepared and unsupported in their professional lives.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Remember that cognitive difficulty often signals growth, just as physical soreness after exercise indicates muscle development.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Republicans have treated Raskin’s calls for transparency as a political exercise, noting that President Joe Biden did not face the same uproar over Epstein.
    Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And does Ainara go through with her vocation?
    John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Italian photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin, who died in August at age ninety-four, announced his vocation to the world by pissing on his lens.
    Max Norman, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Employment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/employment. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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