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

Her alleged return visit raised red flags when an employee recognized Quast from a similar theft days earlier and alerted police, according to the complaint. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Due in December, the 500-plus-page volume was written by music journalist and Great Falls bassist Shane Mehling and draws on interviews with Hydra Head artists, former bandmates and ex-employees. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Sep. 2026

The mayor said the suspect used a 9-mm pistol belonging to his father, a Department of Education employee, after breaking into a vault where the firearm had been stored and bringing it to school. — CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

In a memo released Wednesday about last-minute changes for her 2027 budget proposal, Levine Cava wrote that 19 employees staffing the volunteer county boards would be shifted to a different department. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 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.