Words / B1

im-PLOY/ɪmˈplɔɪ/

Employ means pay someone to work for you. The factory employs 200 people; be employed as a nurse. Hire is more informal and often short-term; recruit is find and take on new staff. Use can mean employ a method, but for people use employ. Employer, employee, and employment are the family. Unemployed is without a job.

Meaning

To pay someone to work for you.

Examples

• “The company employs fifty people.”
• “The hotel employs extra staff in summer.”
• “She is employed as a translator.”

Good to know

employ + number / person. be employed as. Informal: hire. Nouns: employer / employee.

Near in meaning

hire

New