Definition Definition

employ - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'employ' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Employ [ n.]
- That which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular service or business; employment.
2 . Employ [ v. t.]
- To inclose; to infold.
- To use; to have in service; to cause to be engaged in doing something; -- often followed by in, about, on, or upon, and sometimes by to; as: (a) To make use of, as an instrument, a means, a material, etc., for a specific purpose; to apply; as, to employ the pen in writing, bricks in building, words and phrases in speaking; to employ the mind; to employ one's energies.
- To occupy; as, to employ time in study.
- To have or keep at work; to give employment or occupation to; to intrust with some duty or behest; as, to employ a hundred workmen; to employ an envoy.

Meaning of 'employ' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . employ [ n]
Meaning (1):
- the state of being employed or having a job
Example in sentence:
  • he was in the employ of the city;
  • they are looking for employment
2 . employ [ v]
Meaning (2):
- put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
Example in sentence:
  • Apply a magnetic field here;
  • He doesn't know how to use a computer;
  • How do you utilize this tool?;
  • I apply this rule to get good results;
  • I can't use this tool;
  • This thinking was applied to many projects;
  • use the plastic bags to store the food;
  • use your head!;
  • we only use Spanish at home
Meaning (3):
- engage or hire for work
Example in sentence:
  • How many people has she employed?;
  • They hired two new secretaries in the department