employ
verb (used with object)
to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service.
had employed
-
past perfectof employ.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Equinix said its centre outside Johannesburg had employed around 750 people during construction but now had 26 permanent staffers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
A friend had employed a generative AI chatbot as a marital counselor, Vance said during a recent conversation with popular evangelical podcaster Bryce Crawford.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
I received a similar question recently from a reader who had employed a heating engineer to fix their central heating.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
No child labour was identified at the factory, but it had employed 16-year-old workers who were subject to the same working conditions as adults, without special care that is required under Chinese law, said CLW.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
In 1995, Hall had employed both Lopsang and Ang Dorje on his Everest expedition, and the two Sherpas had not worked well together.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
