employment

noun

em·​ploy·​ment im-ˈplȯi-mənt 

1

: use, purpose

2

a

: activity in which one engages or is employed

seeking gainful employment

b

: an instance of such activity

c

: the extent or degree to which a labor force is employed

Employment is high.

3

: the act of employing : the state of being employed

employment of a pen in sketching

Synonyms

• application
• exercise
• operation
• play
• usage
• use

Choose the Right Synonym for employment

work, employment, occupation, calling, pursuit, métier, business mean a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living.

work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

Examples of employment in a Sentence

laws that have encouraged the employment of women

I've been looking for employment in the machine trade.

The new factory should provide employment for hundreds of workers.

unskilled workers trying to find paid employment

She hopes to find employment as a teacher.

The magazine did well during the course of her employment as editor.

Employment is at an all-time high in this part of the state.

The city is faced with inadequate housing and a lack of employment.

Recent Examples on the Web

These parents worried about grades … for employment purposes grades don’t matter. —Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2024

Episodes will showcase the many employment opportunities available across a major studio and highlight the diversity within the Universal staff. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024

Rather than merely providing clear expectations about the terms and conditions of employment, many employment contracts now give employers sweeping control over workers, even beyond the workplace. —Sheri Berman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

But that masks a lingering crisis among women like Slemp who lack a college degree: The gap in employment rates between mothers who have a four-year degree and those who don’t has only grown. —Moriah Balingit, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024

What to know about the average rate and more Both Kroger and Albertsons/Safeway currently are among Arizona's 10 largest nongovernmental employers, with staff counts of 20,200 and 14,500, according to last year's Republic 100 special employment report. —The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

Applicants were required to submit employment records and a personal essay, and age and geography were taken into account to maximize the chances of long-term coupling. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024

The board came into the closed-door session knowing Hinton's employment with SDC was coming to an end. —Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024

That was driven by a May 2021 employment agreement that was set to keep Zaslav at the company through the end of 2027. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English employement "expenditure of funds," from emploien "to apply to a task, employ entry 1" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing employment

• employment agency
• employment history
• pre-employment
• re-employment
• self-employment

Kids Definition

employment

noun

em·​ploy·​ment im-ˈplȯi-mənt 

1

: use entry 1 sense 1a, purpose

also : the act of using

2

a

: the act of hiring a person for work

b

: the job for which one is hired : occupation

c

: the state of being employed

employment in the machine trade

d

: the relative number of persons in a labor force who are employed

employment is high

Legal Definition

employment

noun

em·​ploy·​ment

1

: an activity or service performed for another especially for compensation or as an occupation

2

: the act of employing : the state of being employed