# paid

/ˈpeɪd/ (US) · /pˈeɪd/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 2. not free

adjective · CEFR A2

describing something that you must give money for.

For teachers: requiring payment; not provided free of charge.

- The museum has a free section and a paid exhibition.
- The application offers a basic version for free, but the advanced features are only available through a paid subscription.

### 3. receiving a salary

adjective · CEFR B1

describing a person who gets money for their work.

For teachers: receiving financial compensation for work or services rendered.

- She is a paid consultant for the local government.
- The organisation relies on a mix of dedicated volunteers and a small team of paid staff to manage daily operations.

### 4. rich or wealthy

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang

having a lot of money.

For teachers: possessing significant financial wealth or having recently acquired a large sum of money.

- After his business became a success, he was finally paid.
- The young entrepreneur was suddenly paid after the tech giant acquired his startup for several million dollars.

## Examples

- I paid for the coffee with cash.
- She paid the contractor the full amount once the kitchen renovation was finished to her satisfaction.
- The company paid its employees a generous bonus after the quarterly profits exceeded the board's most optimistic projections.

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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.