employer

[ em-ploi-er ]

noun

1. a person or business that employs one or more people, especially for wages or salary:

   a fair employer.

2. a person or thing that makes use of or occupies someone or something:

   an inadequate employer of one's time.

employer

/ ɪmˈplɔɪə /

noun

1. a person, business, firm, etc, that employs workers
2. a person who employs; user

Other Words From

• preem·ployer noun
• proem·ployer adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of employer¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; employ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

He and his wife had to give up something to help their children get through remote schooling and it made more economic sense for him to take emergency leave, with assistance from his employer and federal relief programs.

From Voice of San Diego

Until July 1st, the plan also specifically prohibited workers from working for their employers when on the scheme.

From Quartz

She eventually found out that the state was waiting on a response from her employer … even though she was self-employed.

From Ozy

Luckily for some, certain jobs are Covid-proof, which means that they are still well in demand and employers are happy to hand out handsome compensations for them.

From Quartz

You as an employer will need to keep your workers motivated in order to ensure that the work does not gets delayed or stopped.

From Search Engine Watch

An Uber driver harassed me and my then-employer, and then Uber lied to me.

From The Daily Beast

He emphasized that employing people with IDD is a triple win: the employer, the employee, and the federal government all benefit.

From The Daily Beast

Historically, and today, how well a home care worker is treated depends entirely on the employer.

From The Daily Beast

Nor is it surprising that the employer of the accused has neither fired the alleged perpetrator nor denounced the trial.

From The Daily Beast

He is caught stealing by his former employer, who poisons his nervous system with a mycotoxin.

From The Daily Beast

This, as a piece of pure economics, does not interest the individual employer a particle.

From Project Gutenberg

And it is quite true that the particular employer can no more break away from these limits than he can jump out of his own skin.

From Project Gutenberg

The single employer rightly knows that there is a wage higher than he can pay and hours shorter than he can grant.

From Project Gutenberg

The situation may be altogether in favor of the employer or altogether in favor of the men, or may occupy a middle ground.

From Project Gutenberg

Properly applied, the capitalist and the employer of labor need have nothing to fear from it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• boss
• company
• corporation
• entrepreneur
• executive
• firm
• management
• manager
• manufacturer
• organization
• owner

More About Employer

What does employer mean?

An employer is a person, company, or organization that employs people—pays them for work.

The people who are paid to work are called employees. Employers provide employment.

Less commonly, employer can mean something that occupies someone or someone that uses something (the word employ can also mean to use), as in Be a good employer of your time. 

Example: If the factory closes, thousands of people will lose their jobs—it’s the largest employer in the county.

Where does employer come from?

The first records of the word employer come from right around 1600. The base word, employ, ultimately derives from the Latin implicāre, meaning “to engage.” The word employee came later, with the suffix -ee indicating a person who is the object or beneficiary of employment.

While employees are often seen as the ones getting this benefit—and the benefits that sometimes come with it, such as health insurance—the employee-employer relationship is based on an exchange. The employer exchanges money for work done. This exchange is often formalized through some kind of contract or employment agreement, and both employee and employer are often used in the context of official situations like this. Typically, a person must have an employer to be considered an employee.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to employer?

• employ (verb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with employer? 

• employee
• employment

What are some words that often get used in discussing employer?

 

• business
• company
• job
• labor
• work
• wages
• pay
• paycheck
• payroll

How is employer used in real life?

Regardless of how people think about their employer, the word itself is used in a neutral way.

I would advise you to ask your employer to contact us directly.

When you are on our profile you should be able to see a envelope icon, by clicking on this you will be able to send us a DM.

It is currently taking about 10 days to receive an email response.

Thanks, Emma.

— NHS Pensions (@nhs_pensions) June 4, 2020

The government is the largest employer in every state. https://t.co/6NLneDH5Rs

— Wayne Vaughan (@WayneVaughan) May 30, 2020

Look at these women! Calling out your employer publicly is a really courageous thing to do in the tiny world of Canadian journalism. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾@vanmalas https://t.co/iUvNJSMFkL

— Denise Balkissoon (@balkissoon) June 2, 2020

 

 

Try using employer!

Which of the following people has an employer?

A. a paid staff member
B. an unemployed person
C. a self-employed person
D. a volunteer