English Reference

Word

employee

Phoneticsem·ploy·ee, stress on the second syllable

US/ɛmˈpɫɔɪi/

UK/ɛmplˈɔɪiː/

Countable noun

Definition

n. a person who is paid to work for a company or another person. You are an employee if you have a boss and receive a regular salary.

n. a person employed for wages or salary, especially at non-executive level. Often contrasted with 'employer' or 'contractor'.

Examples

“The company has over fifty employees.”

“Every new employee must attend a safety training session before they start working in the factory.”

“The management team introduced a new bonus scheme designed to improve employee retention and boost overall morale during the busy winter season.”

Examples

simple

“The company has over fifty employees.”

contextual

“Every new employee must attend a safety training session before they start working in the factory.”

complex

“The management team introduced a new bonus scheme designed to improve employee retention and boost overall morale during the busy winter season.”

Usage

Commonly paired with 'full-time', 'part-time', or 'former'.

Pitfall

The company has many employs.

The company has many employees.

Learners sometimes use the verb 'employ' as a noun instead of the correct noun form 'employee'.

Confusables

employee vs employer

An employee is the person who gets paid to work, while an employer is the person or company that pays them.

RememberEmployee = Receives. Employer = Giver.

Etymology

From employ + -ee. First attested in the early 19th century, possibly modeled after French employé.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

NOUN

employee(A2)

ADJECTIVE

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Common
Level
A2 · ElementaryOxford
Updated

QR code

englishreference.com/q/employee
English Reference