employ
Other forms: employed; employing; employs
To employ means to use something or hire someone to work. You can employ a saw to cut a board or employ a tutor to teach you math. You can even employ your talents in study and activities.
The Latin source of employ is the word implicāre, which literally means to enfold or be connected with. This ties in with the verb employ, which is transitive and needs a direct object. (You can't just say "I will employ — you have to employ something.) The word also suggests using something for a specific purpose: you can employ someone for a job or find something in which to employ your own interests.
Definitions of employ
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put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
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types:
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commit, consecrate, dedicate, devote, give
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
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play
employ in a game or in a specific position
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play
use or move
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pull out all the stops
use all resources available
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assign, put
attribute or give
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ply
use diligently
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address
address or apply oneself to something, direct one's efforts towards something, such as a question
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waste
use inefficiently or inappropriately
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misapply, misuse
apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly
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avail
use to one's advantage
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overdrive, overuse
make use of too often or too extensively
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cannibalise, cannibalize
use parts of something to repair something else
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recycle, reprocess, reuse
use again after processing
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exploit, work
use or manipulate to one's advantage
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exploit, tap
draw from; make good use of
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extend, strain
use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
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exercise, exert
put to use
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enjoy
have benefit from
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take
travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route
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share
use jointly or in common
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put to work, work
cause to work
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implement
apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design
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fall back, recur, resort
have recourse to
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manipulate
skillfully utilize, process, or operate on
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exercise, work, work out
give a workout to
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warm up
cause to do preliminary exercises so as to stretch the muscles
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maximise, maximize
make the most of
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consecrate, vow
dedicate to a deity by a vow
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rededicate
dedicate anew
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promote
change a pawn for a better piece by advancing it to the eighth row, or change a checker piece for a more valuable piece by moving it to the row closest to your opponent
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repose
put or confide something in a person or thing
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rehash
present or use over, with no or few changes
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make hay
turn to one's advantage
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play
use to one's advantage
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harness
exploit the power of
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mine
get from the earth by excavation
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quarry
extract (something such as stones) from or as if from a quarry
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overexploit
exploit excessively
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commercialise, commercialize
exploit for maximal profit, usually by sacrificing quality
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milk
exploit as much as possible
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overextend, overstrain
strain excessively
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task, tax
use to the limit
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avail, help
take or use
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feed, prey
profit from in an exploitatory manner
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computerise, computerize, cybernate
control a function, process, or creation by a computer
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reclaim, recover
reuse (materials from waste products)
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double up
share a room or a bed designed for only one person
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pool
combine into a common fund
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communalise, communalize
make something the property of the commune or community
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rack
put on a rack and pinion
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exploit, overwork
work excessively hard
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apply
apply oneself to
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use
seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage
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parlay
exploit a skill or resource in order to get something of greater value
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engage or hire for work“How many people has she employed?”
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Antonyms:
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can, dismiss, displace, fire, force out, give notice, give the axe, give the sack, sack, send away, terminate
terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
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types:
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featherbed
hire more workers than are necessary
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fill
appoint someone to (a position or a job)
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engage
ask to represent; of legal counsel
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ship
hire for work on a ship
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contract, sign, sign on, sign up
engage by written agreement
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rat
employ scabs or strike breakers in
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farm out, job, subcontract
arranged for contracted work to be done by others
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contract out
assign a job to someone outside one's own business
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can, dismiss, displace, fire, force out, give notice, give the axe, give the sack, sack, send away, terminate
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the state of being employed or having a job“he was in the employ of the city”
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synonyms:
employment
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Antonyms:
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joblessness, unemployment
the state of being unemployed or not having a job
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type of:
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state
the way something is with respect to its main attributes
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joblessness, unemployment
Pronunciation
US
/ɛmˈplɔɪ/
UK
/ɛmˈplɔɪ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘employ'.
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