hire

1 of 2

noun

ˈhī(-ə)r 

1

a

: payment for the temporary use of something

b

: payment for labor or personal services : wages

2

a

: the act or an instance of hiring (see hire entry 2)

laws regarding the hire of workers

b

: the state of being hired : employment

3

British : rental

the hire of equipment

—often used attributively

a hire car

4

: one who is hired

starting wage for the new hires

hire

2 of 2

verb

hired; hiring

transitive verb

1

a

: to engage the personal services of for a set sum

hire a crew

b

: to engage the temporary use of for a fixed sum

hire a hall

2

: to grant the personal services of or temporary use of for a fixed sum

hire themselves out

3

: to get done for pay

hire the mowing done

intransitive verb

: to take employment

hire out as a guide during the tourist season

hirer noun

Phrases

for hire or less commonly on hire

: available for use or service in return for payment

They have boats for hire.

willing to do farm work for hire

Synonyms

Noun

• employ
• employment
• engagement

Verb

• charter
• engage
• lease
• rent

Choose the Right Synonym for hire

hire, let, lease, rent, charter mean to engage or grant for use at a price.

hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer

decided to let the cottage to a young couple

lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent

will not rent to families with children

charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

Examples of hire in a Sentence

Noun

The company has a few new hires.

The hire of a car and other equipment will of course incur a supplementary charge.

Verb

She had very little office experience, so the company wouldn't hire her.

We hired someone to clean the office once a week.

The company isn't hiring right now.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The end result is all that matters regarding this hire. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024

The company is positioning the hire as a deepening of the relationship between Amazon and Wondery, which the company acquired in 2020. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

These companies often also hire too fast and onboard too many people, especially when revenue appears to have turned a corner. —Agur Jõgi, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

Authenticity was hot, hot, hot: the Rothschilds who hired Samson had been satisfied with shiny new furniture in the style of the eighteenth century, but the robber barons adding to Asher’s fortune wanted to pad their pedigrees with originals. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English hȳr; akin to Old Saxon hūria hire

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing hire

• hire out
• hire purchase
• ply for hire/business/trade
• pre-hire

Kids Definition

hire

1 of 2 noun

ˈhī(ə)r 

1

a

: payment for temporary use

b

: payment for services : wages

2

a

: the act of hiring

b

: the state of being hired : employment

hire

2 of 2 verb

hired; hiring

1

: employ entry 1 sense 2

hire a new crew

2

: to get the temporary use of for a set sum

hire a hall

3

: to take a job

hired out as a cook

hirer noun

Legal Definition

hire

1 of 2 noun

1

: payment for the temporary use of something or for labor or services

2

a

: the act or an instance of hiring

from the date of hire until now

b

: the state of being hired : employment

while he was in the hire of the defendant

3

: one who is hired

all new hires will enjoy the same medical benefits

hire

2 of 2 verb

hired; hiring

transitive verb

1

: to engage the personal services of or the temporary use of for a fixed sum

2

: to grant the personal services of or the temporary use of

intransitive verb

: to take employment

hirer noun