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

Gratefully, I live in a dual-income household where my spouse is gainfully employed and compensated well.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Among married women with children at home and a high school diploma, 60% are employed in some form; among such women with bachelor’s degrees, 77% are; among those with higher degrees, 86% are.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

In part, this case also employed the product liability strategy.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

They are future-proofing the club in all aspects, from the infrastructure to the number of people employed by the club.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

I grudged the months I had spent with her, employed by her, taking her money, trotting in her wake like a shadow, drab and dumb.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• engaged
• hired
• occupied