employed

[em-ploid]

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of employed¹

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

For the next seven months, Rory was employed as a designated detention officer at London's Charing Cross police station.

From BBC

Contractors, who work for federal agencies but are not directly employed by the government, will miss out on work, too.

From BBC

The report also found Mr Hay "demonstrated poor clinical practice", "failed to recognise possible risks", while the NHS trust that employed him "somehow allowed this to continue until he eventually retired due to ill health".

From BBC

The money has allowed him to bring in 12 employees who were either directly employed by Tata or were within the supply chain.

From BBC

Made-up accusations that abortion causes depression or breast cancer were employed to justify lengthy waiting periods or unnecessary red tape that only served to shut down abortion clinics.

From Salon

Related Words

• engaged 
• hired www.thesaurus.com
• occupied