employ

American  

[em-ploi] / ɛmˈplɔɪ /

verb (used with object)

1. to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service.

   This factory employs thousands of people.

2. to make use of (an instrument, means, etc.); use; apply.

   We employ objective and scientific methods to analyze all management areas.

3. to keep busy or at work; engage the attentions of.

   He employs himself by reading after work.

4. to occupy or devote (time, energies, etc.).

   I employ my spare time in reading. I employ all my energies in writing.

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noun

1. employment; service.

   to be in someone's employ.

employ British  

/ ɪmˈplɔɪ /

verb

1. to engage or make use of the services of (a person) in return for money; hire

2. to provide work or occupation for; keep busy; occupy

   collecting stamps employs a lot of his time

3. to use as a means

   to employ secret measures to get one's ends

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noun

1. the state of being employed (esp in the phrase in someone's employ )

Usage

What does employ mean? To employ someone is to pay them to work. An employer employs employees.The state of being employed is employment.A more specific use of employ is as a noun meaning employment or service. This sense of the word is almost always used in phrases like in their employ. Employ also means to use, as in This task will require you to employ a different skill set.Less commonly, employ can mean to keep one busy or occupy one, as in During flights I usually employ myself with some knitting. Example: My company employs more than 500 people.

Other Word Forms

• employability noun
• employable adjective
• nonemploying adjective
• overemploy verb (used with object)
• preemploy verb (used with object)
• reemploy verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of employ

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English employen, from Anglo-French, Middle French emploier, ultimately derived from Latin implicāre “to enfold” ( Late Latin: “to engage”); implicate

Example Sentences

The builders "used techniques that are no longer employed today", she told AFP.

From Barron's

"Some of these were big factories employing thousands of workers," he said.

From Barron's

Women, children and artisanal miners - those not officially employed by a mining firm - are among those killed in the collapse.

From BBC

He is one of millions working in India's rapidly expanding gig economy, which is expected to employ 23.5 million people by 2030.

From BBC

In the era of artificial intelligence, Ives, 51, has become so visible that his employer is now perhaps best known for employing Dan Ives.

From Barron's

Related Words

• apply
• engage
• exploit
• handle
• occupy
• operate
• spend
• use
• utilize