employee

employee — noun

1. a person who works for a company, organization, or another person in exchange fo

1.nounB1
Definition

a person who works for a company, organization, or another person in exchange for a regular wage or salary, and whose duties are directed by the employer

Example

The company provides health insurance for every full-time employee.

collocation: full-time employee

As a new employee, Esteban attended a two-day orientation programme.

collocation: new employee

Common collocations
  • full-time employee
  • part-time employee
  • former employee
  • current employee
  • new employee
  • permanent employee
  • temporary employee
Synonyms
  • worker

    broader term that includes self-employed people and manual labourers, not limited to salaried positions

  • member of staff

    emphasises belonging to a particular organisation's personnel

  • hire

    informal; often refers specifically to a person who has just been employed

Antonyms
  • employer

    the person, company, or organisation that pays employees for their work

  • independent contractor

    a self-employed person hired for a task who is not under the employer's direct control

Usage Note

Countable noun. Do not confuse with 'employer' — the employer is the person or organisation that pays the employee for their work.

Common Mistakes

My employee gave me a raise.
My employer gave me a raise.
'employee' is the person who works; 'employer' is the person or organisation that pays them.
The company hired three new employ.
The company hired three new employees.
'employee' needs the -ee ending; 'employ' is a verb, not a noun form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Employee is the most standard and neutral term for a person who works for an employer in exchange for wages or salary. Worker is broader — it includes self-employed people and those doing physical or manual labour (e.g. factory workers, construction workers), and can carry a working-class connotation. Staff is a collective noun referring to the entire group of employees in an organisation; you cannot call one person 'a staff' — instead say 'a staff member' or 'a member of staff'. Hire is informal and typically refers to someone who has recently been employed ('our new hire'). Example: 'The company has 500 employees.' 'The factory workers went on strike for better pay.' 'She joined the staff as a junior analyst.' 'The new hire starts on Monday.'

employee ↗worker ↗staff ↗hire ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • employee of the month

Adjectives

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchLatinEnglish

Borrowed from French 'employé', the past participle of 'employer' (to employ). The French verb itself comes from Latin 'implicare', meaning 'to involve, enfold, or engage'. The word entered English in the early 19th century, originally referring to a person who is employed by another.