employ

American  

[em-ploi] / ɛmˈplɔɪ /

verb (used with object)

employs, present (3rd person singular) employed, past participle, past employing present participle

1. to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service.

   This factory employs thousands of people.

2. to make use of (an instrument, means, etc.); use; apply.

   We employ objective and scientific methods to analyze all management areas.

3. to keep busy or at work; engage the attentions of.

   He employs himself by reading after work.

4. to occupy or devote (time, energies, etc.).

   I employ my spare time in reading. I employ all my energies in writing.

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noun

employs plural

1. employment; service.

   to be in someone's employ.

employ British  

/ ɪmˈplɔɪ /

verb

1. to engage or make use of the services of (a person) in return for money; hire

2. to provide work or occupation for; keep busy; occupy

   collecting stamps employs a lot of his time

3. to use as a means

   to employ secret measures to get one's ends

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noun

1. the state of being employed (esp in the phrase in someone's employ )

Usage

What does employ mean? To employ someone is to pay them to work. An employer employs employees. The state of being employed is employment. A more specific use of employ is as a noun meaning employment or service. This sense of the word is almost always used in phrases like in their employ. Employ also means to use, as in This task will require you to employ a different skill set. Less commonly, employ can mean to keep one busy or occupy one, as in During flights I usually employ myself with some knitting. Example: My company employs more than 500 people.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• employability
  noun
• overemploy
  verb (used with object)
• preemploy
  verb (used with object)
• reemploy
  verb (used with object)
• employable
  adjective
• nonemploying
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• employs
  plural

Participles

• employing
  present
• employed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• employ
  simple
• employs
  simple
• have employed
  perfect
• has employed
  perfect
• am employing
  progressive
• are employing
  progressive
• is employing
  progressive
• have been employing
  perfect progressive
• has been employing
  perfect progressive

Past

• employed
  simple
• had employed
  perfect
• was employing
  progressive
• were employing
  progressive
• had been employing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will employ
  simple
• will have employed
  perfect
• will be employing
  progressive
• will have been employing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of employ

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English employen, from Anglo-French, Middle French emploier, ultimately derived from Latin implicāre “to enfold” ( Late Latin: “to engage”); see implicate

Explanation

To employ means to use something or hire someone to work. You can employ a saw to cut a board or employ a tutor to teach you math. You can even employ your talents in study and activities. The Latin source of employ is the word implicāre, which literally means to enfold or be connected with. This ties in with the verb employ, which is transitive and needs a direct object. (You can't just say "I will employ — you have to employ something.) The word also suggests using something for a specific purpose: you can employ someone for a job or find something in which to employ your own interests.

Example Sentences

Small businesses employ about 62.3 million people in the U.S., representing about 45.9% of private-sector employees in the country, according to the U.S.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026

People are starting businesses, but not businesses designed to employ workers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

In Germany, any company that employs more than 20 people is legally obliged to employ at least one disabled person.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

In most series, which might employ several over a season, they are interchangeable — which isn’t to say they aren’t valuable, transforming words on a page into a four-dimensional living thing.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026

“As for who will employ you, there is no such thing. Anyone can go and work and be paid by the results—so much for each sackful.”

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• apply
• engage
• exploit
• handle
• occupy
• operate
• spend
• use
• utilize