employer

noun

em·​ploy·​er im-ˈplȯi-ər 

em-

plural employers

: one that employs or makes use of something or somebody

… it is one of the most aggressive employers of the dreaded pop-up ads that effloresce across one's video screen like a sudden and unpleasant rash …

—Christopher Orr

especially : a person or company that provides a job paying wages or a salary to one or more people

Private household workers usually work in pleasant and comfortable homes or apartments. Most are dayworkers who live in their own homes and travel to work. Some live in the home of their employer, generally with their own room and bath.

—Occupational Outlook Handbook

One of Hiroshima's main contributions to the post-war economic miracle of Japan is the Mazda car plant, the single largest employer in Hiroshima.

—Michael Dillon

… choose a classic health-insurance plan—if your employer still makes one available.

—Laura Johannes

Outside of the public sector and unionized shops, salaries in North America have long been considered a private matter between employer and employee.

—Amanda Stephenson

Examples of employer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The major Kansas City employer made the decision to hop the state line in December after the Leawood City Council approved a $760 million development project from Kansas City Developer VanTrust Real Estate. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026

At the center of the tension with the employers was protecting the healthcare that our members and their families depend on. —Manny Pastreich, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026

Krikorian, of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the Social Security Administration could send out letters alerting employers when an employee’s name doesn’t match their Social Security number. —Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Rodríguez, who took office following the January capture of strongman Nicolás Maduro, said the new figure — a combination of salary and state bonuses — would apply to public workers and should be mirrored by private employers whose wages fall below that level. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing employer

• equal opportunities employer
• equal opportunity employer

Rhymes for employer

• destroyer
• foyer
• oyer
• multiemployer

Kids Definition

employer

noun

em·​ploy·​er

im-ˈplȯi(-ə)r

: one that employs others

Legal Definition

employer

noun

em·​ploy·​er

: one that hires others to perform a service or engage in an activity in exchange for compensation see also respondeat superior