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.

---

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

That makes nine coaches on USC’s defensive staff alone, three more than it employed last season.

From Los Angeles Times

No star system, a fault of predecessors, will be employed.

From BBC

I’ve employed a similar analysis on several occasions in recent years.

From MarketWatch

This might have occurred because some businesses were including undocumented workers they employed in their survey responses, but not in their tax filings.

From The Wall Street Journal

When employers cut jobs because of weak demand, they typically also become stingier with wages for those who remain employed.

From Barron's

Related Words

• engaged
• hired
• occupied