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

Explanation

Someone who's employed has a job or is busy with something. Some people believe that employed teenagers get themselves in less trouble than those without jobs. If you're working, you're employed. Most employed people work traditional full-time jobs, although an increasing number of them are freelancers or have part-time positions. Another way to use this adjective is to mean "used," as when you say, "The employed methods for keeping the classroom calm seem a little extreme to me." The adjective employed comes from the related verb, employ, "use, apply, occupy, or hire."

Example Sentences

In 1950, The Stanley Works manufacturing complex in New Britain, Conn., stretched down Myrtle Street and employed close to 5,000 people.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Ong was employed by the university between November 2014 and May 2022, and was 69 when she was dismissed.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

New York has a similar statute that was recently employed by singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in her case against Sean Combs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The company has employed a hybrid strategy for AI that’s run directly on Apple devices and on the cloud.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

“And this is certainly not our house. I am their governess. I am employed by Lord and Lady Ashton, of Ashton Place.”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• engaged
• hired
• occupied