employed

American  

[em-ploid] / ɛmˈplɔɪd /

adjective

1. given employment, or paid work; hired, especially permanently by inclusion on a payroll.

   The comedy revolves around a beauty salon owner and her newly employed male stylist.

2. applied or used; made use of.

   In the study, drilling with flashcards was the least frequently employed strategy for language learning.

3. kept busy or engaged with some work or activity.

   I never feel usefully employed in science except when I'm actually gathering data.

4. (of time, energies, etc.) occupied; devoted to some pursuit.

   Working on my quilt gave me many happily employed hours.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of employ.

Other Word Forms

• de-employed adjective
• well-employed adjective

Etymology

Origin of employed

First recorded in 1560–70; employ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; employ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Animal Outlook planted an undercover worker at Manning Beef toward the end of 2024; they were employed from October to December.

From Los Angeles Times

And Mr. Smith, who also uses electronics, employed a trap set, vibraphone, and much of a symphony orchestra’s percussion section.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nike employed about 77,800 workers worldwide as of its latest annual filing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Curry College takes responsibility for its students’ loans for up to 12 months or provides a paid internship or free graduate-school credits if graduates aren’t employed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Early proponents of republicanism in both the U.S. and France, for instance, employed sacrifice as an ideal of genuine citizenship.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• engaged
• hired
• occupied