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

Example Sentences

The 42-year-old dark horse contender has recently made more efforts in courting the Latino vote through meme-y internet tactics and has even employed Spanish to create a new nickname for Bass — “Karen Bassura.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Economists have long employed an alphabet’s worth of shapes to describe the U.S. economy, whether it’s an E, K, W, U, L or V. But what are the implications of an E-shaped economy in 2026?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Oracle employed about 162,000 people globally as of end-May.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

While Universal Credit is a digital service, enforcement of its obligations has long been delivered through Jobcentres, where work coaches are employed to help people find work.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

The Earthworm, with his lovely pink skin, was employed by a company that made women’s face creams to speak commercials on television.

From "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl

Related Words

• engaged
• hired
• occupied