# hire

/ˈhaɪɝ/ (US) · /hˈaɪə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hire
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to give someone a job

verb · CEFR A2

to give someone a job and pay them for their work.

For teachers: to employ a person for wages or a salary. Transitive; requires a direct object representing the person or entity.

- The company plans to hire ten new engineers by the end of the year.
- After a rigorous three-stage interview process, the board decided to hire a candidate with extensive experience in international logistics.

### 2. to rent something

verb · CEFR B1 · British English

to pay to use something for a short time, like a car or a suit.

For teachers: to obtain the temporary use of something in exchange for payment. Common in British English where American English often prefers 'rent'.

- We decided to hire a car for our holiday so we could visit the mountains.
- The wedding party arranged to hire formal morning suits from a specialist tailor in the city centre.

Usage: In British English, 'hire' is used for portable items like cars or tools, while 'rent' is often used for long-term housing.

### 3. a new employee

noun · CEFR B2

a person who has just started a new job at a company.

For teachers: a person who has recently been recruited or employed. Often used in the phrase 'new hire'.

- The manager introduced the new hire to the rest of the team during lunch.
- The human resources department is responsible for ensuring that every new hire completes the mandatory safety training before starting their role.

### 4. the act of renting

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

the act of paying to use something for a short time.

For teachers: the act of hiring or the state of being hired for temporary use. Often used in commercial contexts like 'car hire'.

- The price of the bicycle hire includes a helmet and a lock.
- The contract clearly states that the cost of equipment hire must be paid in full before the items are removed from the premises.

## Examples

- The car hire is quite expensive this week.
- After a long search, the marketing department finally announced their latest hire to lead the digital campaign.
- The rapid expansion of the logistics firm necessitated the hire of several hundred seasonal workers to manage the unprecedented volume of holiday shipments.

---

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.