English Explanatory Dictionary

employ

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To retain (someone) as an employee.
  2. To provide (someone) with a new job; to hire.
  3. To use (someone or something) for a job or task.
  4. To make busy; to preoccupy.
noun
  1. The state of being an employee; employment.
  2. An occupation.
  3. The act of employing someone or making use of something; employment.

Pronunciation

/ɪmˈplɔɪ/ /ɛmˈplɔɪ/ en-us-employ.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-employ.wav

Word forms

employ employs employing employed imploy

Etymology

From late Middle English emploien, imploien, emplien (“to apply to a specific purpose”), from Anglo-Norman emploier, Old French emploiier (“to entangle, fabricate, to make use of”), ultimately from Latin implicāre (“to infold, entangle, involve, engage”), from in- (“in”) + plicāre (“to fold”). Doublet of imply and implicate.

Synonyms

apply appoint bestow brook commission commit employ exercise exploit handle make use ply put to use spend suborn take advantage of use utilize wield occupy busy

Antonyms

discard disuse shun surrender

Related words

apply employé implicate imply manipulate

Derived words

disemploy employable employ a steam engine to crack a nut employed employer employless employment malemploy misemploy nonemploying overemploy preemploy reemploy re-employemployee unemploy
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