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

The city appears prepared to take a hard line on the labor issue, which Dunphy says includes everything from construction workers to concession stand employees. — Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 July 2026

If they are convicted of kidnapping a federal employee, they could be imprisoned for life. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 21 July 2026

Two government employees and one civilian were injured during the incident Monday, according to the FBI, with Barnacle noting the civilian was an immigrant who was at the building for a hearing in their immigration case. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Her food receives high praise, but a couple days later, one of her friend’s employees dies, possibly from an overdose of an extremely spicy hot sauce. — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 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.