employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē 

(ˌ)em-;

im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē 

em-

variants or less commonly employe

: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

Synonyms of employee

• worker

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

Abel made the rounds across the floor, stopping at each booth to greet employees and shake hands with shareholders. —Yun Li,alex Harring,sarah Min, CNBC, 2 May 2026

The layoffs are expected to affect 363 in Deerfield Beach, 169 in Jacksonville, 121 in Pensacola, and 393 employees in Tampa. —Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026

The surviving employee was transported by Life Flight to an area hospital, the statement noted. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026

Jackson is accused of wiring the employee $168,000, and Mayers claims this was another attempt to falsely report his wealth during bankruptcy proceedings. —Irene Wright, USA Today, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē  (ˌ)em- 

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.