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REFERENCE

payroll

n. · v.
US //ˈpeɪˌɹoʊɫ// UK //pˈeɪɹəʊl// pay·roll
  1. 1 list of employees (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the official list of people who work for a company and receive a salary.

    the register of employees entitled to receive compensation from an organisation.

    Example

    The company has over five hundred people on its payroll this year.

    Example

    The merger resulted in a significant expansion of the payroll, necessitating a complete overhaul of the human resources database.
  2. 2 total money paid (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Accounting

    the total amount of money a company pays to all its workers.

    the total sum of wages and salaries paid by an employer to its staff during a specific period.

    Example

    The small business struggled to meet its monthly payroll during the slow season.

    Example

    The chief financial officer expressed concern that the annual payroll was increasing at a faster rate than the company's net revenue.
    • wage bill
    • salary costs
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  1. 3 the department or process (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Accounting

    the department in a company that handles paying salaries and taxes.

    the administrative department or functional process responsible for calculating earnings and withholding taxes.

    Example

    If you have a question about your tax code, you should contact payroll.

    Example

    The payroll department is currently transitioning to an automated system to reduce errors in overtime calculations.
  2. 4 bribes (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal

    money paid secretly to people to make them do what you want.

    a sum of money used for regular bribes or illegal payments to ensure cooperation.

    Example

    The corrupt politician had several local police officers on his payroll.

    Example

    Investigative journalists uncovered evidence that the cartel had placed high-ranking officials on a secret payroll to ensure safe passage for their shipments.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'on'.
  3. 5 to add to the list (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    to put someone on the official list of employees so they can be paid.

    to place an individual on a formal payroll for the purpose of salary administration.

    Example

    We need to payroll the new interns before they start work on Monday.

    Example

    The agency was contracted to payroll the temporary staff, handling all tax obligations and insurance contributions on behalf of the client.
Origin

From pay + roll.

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