employ

employ

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of employ in English

English Online Dictionary. What means employ‎? What does employ mean?

English

Alternative forms

  • imploy (obsolete)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪmˈplɔɪ/, /ɛmˈplɔɪ/
  • Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Etymology 1

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.

Verb

employ (third-person singular simple present employs, present participle employing, simple past and past participle employed)

  1. To retain (someone) as an employee.
    • 1668 July 3rd, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 547
      Andrew Houſtoun and Adam Muſhet, being Tackſmen of the Excize, did Imploy Thomas Rue to be their Collector, and gave him a Sallary of 30. pound Sterling for a year.
  2. (rare) To provide (someone) with a new job; to hire.
  3. To use (someone or something) for a job or task.
    Synonyms: apply, use, utilize
  4. To make busy; to preoccupy.
    Synonyms: occupy, busy
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French emploi (job, employment), the deverbal from employer (to put to use, to employ), first attested in the late 17th century.

Noun

employ (plural employs)

  1. The state of being an employee; employment.
  2. (archaic) An occupation.
  3. (obsolete) The act of employing someone or making use of something; employment.
Derived terms
Translations

References

Further reading

  • “employ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
  • “employ”, in The Century Dictionary [], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
  • “employ”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

  • polemy

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.