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

In writing “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” Thomas again employed his gifts as a showman.

From The Wall Street Journal

Those who said that they were employed at that time were said to have unretired.

From MarketWatch

Each has a master’s degree in the computer-science area and each is employed and living in their own condos that we helped them attain with the down payment.

From MarketWatch

Turkmenistan has employed other methods to beat the sand.

From Barron's

If the tanker doesn’t comply, more active measures can be employed, such as blocking the ship from its destination.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• engaged
• hired
• occupied