payee
Americannoun
-
payees
plural
noun
-
the person to whom a cheque, money order, etc, is made out
-
a person to whom money is paid or due
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of payee
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How does payee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A payee is someone who receives money. If your boss hands you your first paycheck, then you are officially a payee. Congrats. Anyone who is paid is a payee, but the term is most commonly used to mean the person (or organization) whose name is written on a check after the words "pay to the order of." If you write a check to pay your cable bill, the cable company is the payee. And if they make a billing mistake and issue you a refund check, you're the payee. Payee uses the suffix -ee, which means "recipient."
Vocabulary lists containing payee
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.
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Sometimes foreign companies will withhold local taxes from dividends before sending them to a U.S. payee.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
As a taxpayer, a Social Security payee, and someone who appreciates efficiency and good government, I am grateful to them.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 28, 2025
Given the gravity of the situation — transferring retirement funds from the participant to the alternate payee — the process can be complex and must meet certain guidelines.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2024
But what happens if the payee cannot accept electronic payments?
From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2024
A note to be made negotiable must contain the word bearer or the word order—that is, it must be payable either to bearer, or to the order of the payee.
From Up To Date Business Home Study Circle Library Series (Volume II.) by Seymour Eaton
Hayes allegedly deposited the checks in her accounts at various banks by forging the signatures of payees, prosecutors said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2024
Jack also approved these – which meant he had been tricked into setting up three new payees.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2024
The payees ranged from China to Saudi Arabia to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024
These systems are highly secure, particularly when they already have your payees in their system and can send an electronic payment directly to them.
From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2024
The payees in both cases are the same.
From Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman by Albert Sidney Bolles
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
