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.
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
Smith and his wife, Bruce's daughter Amy, had employed Eva Clements via Ruthie Maternity Services believing she was skilled, trained and vetted and the firm was well established.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
Earlier this week, the Treasury Department canceled contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, the government contractor that had employed Littlejohn.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026
Eric Kilmer, who had employed Woods at his hot dog cart business starting in the 1980s, described him as “the most innocent type fellow you’ll ever want to meet.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2024
A lich was an undead creature, usually an incredibly powerful wizard or king who had employed dark magic to bind his intellect to his own reanimated corpse, thus achieving a perverted form of immortality.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
