1
: a paymaster's or employer's list of those entitled to pay and of the amounts due to each
2
: the sum necessary for distribution to those on a payroll
also
: the money to be distributed
Examples of payroll in a Sentence
They cut him from their payroll.
He's the manager of a baseball team with a $50 million payroll.
Businesses are keeping their payrolls low by embracing new technologies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eligibility and caregiver choices would be unchanged but a single intermediary would manage payroll and benefits, replacing middlemen who inject tons of inefficiency and unnecessary spending, including untold amounts of fraud and abuse, into the system.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
The shortfall would be covered by a raft of on- and off-budget loans, dips into the state’s emergency reserves and accounting gimmicks, such as pushing the June 2026 state payroll back a month later in the 2026-27 fiscal year, thus reducing 2025-26 spending by several billion dollars.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025
While extraordinary methods of support, these loans are not intended to keep a business afloat or cover payroll.
—Brock Blake, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The companies stopped receiving money to cover payroll and their past invoices.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payroll
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
The shortfall would be covered by a raft of on- and off-budget loans, dips into the state’s emergency reserves and accounting gimmicks, such as pushing the June 2026 state payroll back a month later in the 2026-27 fiscal year, thus reducing 2025-26 spending by several billion dollars.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025
While extraordinary methods of support, these loans are not intended to keep a business afloat or cover payroll.
—Brock Blake, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The companies stopped receiving money to cover payroll and their past invoices.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payroll
Cite this Entry
“Payroll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payroll. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
payroll
noun
pay·roll
ˈpā-ˌrōl 
1
: a list of persons entitled to receive pay with the amounts due to each
2
: the amount of money necessary to pay those on a payroll
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