employer

employer — noun

1. a person, company, or organization that provides work for someone and pays them

1.nounB1
Definition

a person, company, or organization that provides work for someone and pays them a salary or wages.

Example

Vinícius asked his employer for a day off to visit the doctor.

The hotel is one of the largest employers in the area.

one of the + superlative + employers

Common collocations
  • former employer
  • current employer
  • major employer
  • prospective employer
  • employer contribution
  • employer-provided
  • employer-sponsored
Synonyms
  • boss

    more informal; always refers to a specific person, not an organization

  • company

    refers specifically to a business organization, not an individual

Antonyms
  • employee

    a person who works for an employer in exchange for pay

  • worker

    less formal than employee; someone who does a job

Grammar Patterns

possessive determiner + employer

employer + verb (offer, pay, provide, give)

Usage Note

Often used with a possessive determiner (my/his/her/their employer). Can refer to either a person ('her employer, Mr. Chen') or an organisation ('the hospital is a major employer'). More formal and broader than 'boss', which always refers to an individual person.

Common Mistakes

My employee gave me a raise.
My employer gave me a raise.
An employee works for you; an employer is the person or company you work for.
I am an employer at a bank.' (when you mean you work there)
I am an employee at a bank.
Use 'employee' when you are the person who works for someone else.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

The key difference among these words is scale and formality. 'Employer' is the most neutral and broad — it can refer to a single person who hires a nanny, a large corporation, or a government agency. 'Boss' is informal and always refers to a specific individual in charge of you at work; you would not say 'the hospital is my boss' but 'the hospital is my employer.' 'Company' and 'firm' are narrower: they refer only to business organizations, not individual people. 'Firm' is slightly more formal and often used for professional services (law firms, accounting firms). Use 'employer' when you mean the entity that pays you, regardless of type or size. Example: 'Google is a generous employer' (organization) vs. 'My boss approved my leave' (a specific person).

employer ↗boss ↗company ↗firm ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • employer-employee relationship
  • employer brand
  • employer liability

Phrases

  • prospective employer
  • current employer
  • former employer

Prepositions

  • employer of [number] workers/people

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed from the verb 'employ' (meaning to give work to someone) plus the suffix '-er' (meaning a person or thing that does something). The verb 'employ' came into English from Old French 'emploier', which itself came from Latin 'implicare' meaning 'to involve or enfold'. Over time, 'employ' shifted from the general meaning of 'make use of' to the specific meaning of 'give work to'. 'Employer' has been used in English since the 1500s to mean a person who gives work to others.