# employer

/ɛmˈpɫɔɪɝ/ (US) · /ɛmplˈɔɪɐ/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/employer
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

a person or company that pays people to work for them. You are an employee, and the person you work for is your employer.

For teachers: a person, business, or organisation that hires and pays personnel for their labour. Often used in legal or contractual contexts to define the party responsible for providing work and compensation.

## Examples

- My employer offers a good health insurance plan.
- The new law requires every employer to provide at least twenty days of paid holiday per year to full-time staff.
- A responsible employer must balance the pursuit of quarterly profit margins with the long-term well-being and professional development of their workforce to ensure sustainable growth.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I am an employer at the bank" but "I am an employee at the bank" — Learners often confuse 'employer' (the boss/company) with 'employee' (the worker).

## Usage notes

- Commonly paired with 'prospective' when referring to a company someone is applying to.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.