payroll

noun

pay·​roll ˈpā-ˌrōl 

1

: a paymaster's or employer's list of those entitled to pay and of the amounts due to each

2

: the sum necessary for distribution to those on a payroll

also : the money to be distributed

Examples of payroll in a Sentence

They cut him from their payroll.

He's the manager of a baseball team with a $50 million payroll.

Businesses are keeping their payrolls low by embracing new technologies.

Recent Examples on the Web

To avoid a cash crunch and potentially jeopardize the ability to pay people, a marketing agency can set up a separate payroll account to which a percentage of sales can be devoted. —Vlad Rusz, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Markets largely ignored the bad news, as the nonfarm payrolls report flagged acute climate and labor disruptions. —Natasha Turak,matt Clinch, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024

Their plan includes signing four free agents to multi-year deals that could equal about $268 million in total payroll commitments, according to Spotrac's market-value projections. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Andrew Brown, the co-founder and CEO of Check, a payroll startup, said the environment at Money20/20 seems more stable than in past years. —Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing payroll

• payroll deduction
• payroll tax

Kids Definition

payroll

noun

pay·​roll ˈpā-ˌrōl 

1

: a list of persons entitled to receive pay with the amounts due to each

2

: the amount of money necessary to pay those on a payroll