Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. employment, employ(verb)

   the state of being employed or having a job

   "they are looking for employment"; "he was in the employ of the city"

2. use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ(verb)

   put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

   "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"

3. hire, engage, employ(verb)

   engage or hire for work

   "They hired two new secretaries in the department"; "How many people has she employed?"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. employ(Noun)

   The state of being an employee; employment.

   The school district has six thousand teachers in its employ.

2. employ(Verb)

   To give someone work or a job.

3. employ(Verb)

   To put something into use or service; to make use of.

   How do you employ your spare time?

Webster Dictionary(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Employ(verb)

   to inclose; to infold

2. Employ(verb)

   to use; to have in service; to cause to be engaged in doing something; -- often followed by in, about, on, or upon, and sometimes by to; as: (a) To make use of, as an instrument, a means, a material, etc., for a specific purpose; to apply; as, to employ the pen in writing, bricks in building, words and phrases in speaking; to employ the mind; to employ one's energies

3. Employ(verb)

   to occupy; as, to employ time in study

4. Employ(verb)

   to have or keep at work; to give employment or occupation to; to intrust with some duty or behest; as, to employ a hundred workmen; to employ an envoy

5. Employ(noun)

   that which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular service or business; employment

Origin: [Cf. F. emploi.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Employ

   em-ploy′, v.t. to occupy the time or attention of: to use as a means or agent: to give work to.—n. a poetical form of employment.—adj. Employ′able, that may be employed.—ns. Employ′é, one who is employed:—fem. Employ′ée; Employēē′, a person employed; Employ′er; Employ′ment, act of employing: that which engages or occupies: occupation. [Fr. employer—L. implicāre, to infold—in, in, and plicāre, to fold. Imply and implicate are parallel forms.]

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'employ' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3832

2. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'employ' in Verbs Frequency: #269

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of employ in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of employ in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Sample Sentences & Example Usage

1. Douglas William Jerrold:

   The sharp employ the sharp.

2. Chinese Proverb:

   Do not employ handsome servants.

3. Sallust:

   We employ the mind to rule, the body to serve.

4. Benjamin Franklin:

   Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure.

5. Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

   One loses all the time which he might employ to better purpose.

Images & Illustrations of employ