employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē How to pronounce employee (audio)
(ˌ)em-;
im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē How to pronounce employee (audio)
em-
variants or less commonly employe
Synonyms of employeenext
: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of employee in a Sentence

A good boss listens to his employees. The company has more than 2,000 employees worldwide.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cruise’s cooperation included remedial measures such as ensuring that employees identified as responsible for the falsified report are no longer employed by the firm. —Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024 The company has two full-time employees and is supported by a Board of Advisors from various sectors to guide its business strategy. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 There are more than 18,000 employees at the FDA, according to the agency. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 The Defense Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard, Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide. —Tara Copp, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for employee 

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -ee entry 1, perhaps after French employé

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of employee was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near employee

employable

employee

employer

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Employee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/employee. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

employee

noun
em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē How to pronounce employee (audio) (ˌ)em- How to pronounce employee (audio)
im-ˈplȯi-ˌē,
em-
: one who works for another for wages or a salary

Legal Definition

employee

noun
em·​ploy·​ee
variants also employe
: a person usually below the executive level who is hired by another to perform a service especially for wages or salary and is under the other's control see also respondeat superior compare independent contractor

Note: In determining whether an individual is an employee, courts look at several factors, including the nature of the compensation paid, provision for employee benefits, whether the hired party is in business, tax treatment of the hired party, source of the equipment used, and location of the work. Statutes, such as workers' compensation acts and labor laws, usually include a definition of employee as it is used in the statute.

More from Merriam-Webster on employee

Nglish: Translation of employee for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of employee for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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