English Reference
noun

employment

n.
US /ɛmˈpɫɔɪmənt/ UK /ɛmplˈɔɪmənt/ em·ploy·ment UK spelling employment's, employment's

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the state of having a paid job or working for a company.

    the state of being in a contract of service for which one receives payment.

    Simple

    She found full-time employment at a local bank after she graduated.

    In context

    The transition from temporary contracts to permanent employment provided the family with the financial stability they had lacked for years.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    the act of hiring someone to do a job.

    the act of employing or hiring someone for a specific role or task.

    Simple

    The company's employment of new staff has slowed down this year.

    In context

    The firm's rapid expansion necessitated the employment of several specialist consultants to oversee the merger.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Science

    the number or percentage of people in a country who have jobs.

    the total number or proportion of a population engaged in productive work.

    Simple

    The government is happy because employment is at its highest level in years.

    In context

    Economists noted that while overall employment remained high, the quality of jobs in the service sector was declining.

    workforcelabour force
  4. 04 C1 Advanced Formal

    the act of using something for a particular purpose.

    the application or use of a method, tool, or resource to achieve an end.

    Simple

    The employment of new technology helped the factory work much faster.

    In context

    The strategic employment of diplomatic pressure eventually forced the two nations back to the negotiating table.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'of' to indicate the resource being used.

Usage employment education · employment opportunities · employment support


From employ (itself from Middle French employer, from Middle French empleier, from Latin implicō (“enfold, involve, be connected with”), itself from in- + plicō (“fold”)) + -ment.

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

This entry
Origin Latin implicō
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated