EMPLOY
| Pronunciation (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does employ mean?
• EMPLOY (noun)
The noun EMPLOY has 1 sense:
1. the state of being employed or having a job
Familiarity information: EMPLOY used as a noun is very rare.
• EMPLOY (verb)
The verb EMPLOY has 2 senses:
1. put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
2. engage or hire for work
Familiarity information: EMPLOY used as a verb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• EMPLOY (noun)
Meaning:
The state of being employed or having a job
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
employ; employment
Context examples:
they are looking for employment / he was in the employ of the city
Hypernyms ("employ" is a kind of...):
state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)
• EMPLOY (verb)
Meaning:
Put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
Classified under:
Verbs of eating and drinking
Synonyms:
utilize; utilise; use; employ; apply
Context examples:
use your head! / we only use Spanish at home / I can't use this tool / Apply a magnetic field here / This thinking was applied to many projects / How do you utilize this tool? / I apply this rule to get good results / use the plastic bags to store the food / He doesn't know how to use a computer
Cause:
apply; go for; hold (be pertinent or relevant or applicable)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "employ"):
commit; consecrate; dedicate; devote; give (give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause)
exploit; work (use or manipulate to one's advantage)
exploit; tap (draw from; make good use of)
extend; strain (use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity)
exercise; exert (put to use)
enjoy (have benefit from)
take (travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route)
share (use jointly or in common)
put to work; work (cause to work)
implement (apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design)
fall back; recur; resort (have recourse to)
recycle; reprocess; reuse (use again after processing)
cannibalise; cannibalize (use parts of something to repair something else)
play (employ in a game or in a specific position)
play (use or move)
pull out all the stops (use all resources available)
assign; put (attribute or give)
ply (use diligently)
address (address or apply oneself to something, direct one's efforts towards something, such as a question)
waste (use inefficiently or inappropriately)
misapply; misuse (apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly)
avail (use to one's advantage)
overdrive; overuse (make use of too often or too extensively)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
Sentence example:
They employ the animals
Meaning:
Engage or hire for work
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
hire; employ; engage
Context examples:
They hired two new secretaries in the department / How many people has she employed?
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "employ"):
rat (employ scabs or strike breakers in)
contract; sign; sign on; sign up (engage by written agreement)
ship (hire for work on a ship)
engage (ask to represent; of legal counsel)
fill (appoint someone to (a position or a job))
featherbed (hire more workers than are necessary)
farm out; job; subcontract (arranged for contracted work to be done by others)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
