employee

Rarely em·ploy·e,

[em-ploi-ee, em-ploi-ee]

noun

1. a person working for another person or a business firm for pay.

employee

/ ˌɛmplɔɪˈiː, ɛmˈplɔɪiː /

noun

1. Also called (esp formerly): employé. a person who is hired to work for another or for a business, firm, etc, in return for payment

Other Word Forms

• preemployee noun
• proemployee adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of employee¹

First recorded in 1825–35; from French employé “employed,” past participle of employer to employ; -ee

Example Sentences

In their statement, board members said they regret the impact the closure will have on employees and members, but noted that they believe this is “the most responsible path for all our stakeholders.”

From Los Angeles Times

The White House this year laid off or bought out nearly 5,000 Forest Service employees as part of its broader move to restructure the federal government to reduce waste and save taxpayers’ money.

From Los Angeles Times

Known for being a bargain stop for cosmetics and beauty products, including big tubs of popular moisturisers and conditioners displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelves, the firm has about 1,500 employees.

From BBC

The confrontation came just a day after more than 1,000 CDC and HHS employees signed an open letter calling for Kennedy’s resignation.

From Salon

Ahead of the hearing, more than 1,000 employees at the health agency and national health organizations called on Kennedy to resign.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agent 
• attendant 
• clerk 
• laborer 
• member 
• operator 
• representative 
• staff member www.thesaurus.com
• worker 

When To Use

What does employee mean?

An employee is someone who gets paid to work for a person or company.Workers don’t need to work full time to be considered employees—they simply need to be paid to work by an employer (the person or business that pays them). The term employee is sometimes used to distinguish contract workers from full employees (who often earn additional benefits), but in this example, both types of workers are considered employees in the general sense.Example: My company has more than 500 employees.