employer
Americannoun
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a person or business that employs one or more people, especially for wages or salary.
a fair employer.
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a person or thing that makes use of or occupies someone or something.
an inadequate employer of one's time.
noun
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a person, business, firm, etc, that employs workers
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a person who employs; user
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- preemployer noun
- proemployer adjective
Etymology
Origin of employer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet they have to correct for a yearslong decline in employer response rates to BLS surveys—which does not negate the data overall, but certainly makes preliminary calculations a bit more unsteady and speculative.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
These are people who are often lower income, and they may get an annual contribution from their employer — $842 on average for one person and $1,539 for a family.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
Fifty years ago, Steve Wozniak knew he built a great personal computer, but the young engineer couldn’t convince his employer, Hewlett-Packard, to buy into the big idea.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
This, as well as higher staffing costs through employer National Insurance contributions and minimum wage hikes, means companies will be under pressure to pass higher costs onto customers through higher prices.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Eventually she surpasses her employer in skill and her food is known throughout the land.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
