employ
gb/ɪmplˈɔɪ/ us/ɪmplˈɔɪ/
A2
Anglais
~ 1300
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A2
action
1
Hire someone for a job
To pay someone to do a job for you.
Schéma d’usage :
to employ [someone] as [a job]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'employ' with 'apply'. 'Employ' means to give someone a job, not to ask for one.
Synonymes
hire (More common in everyday speech; 'employ' is slightly more formal.)
Antonymes
fire (Means to remove someone from their job, the opposite of hiring.)
Collocations
employ staff
|employ workers
|employ a manager
|employ skilled labor
Thèmes
business
|work
|employment
Exemples
- The company plans to employ 50 new workers this year.
- We decided to employ her as our office manager.
- Many factories in the area employ migrant labor.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My father employs ten people in his shop.
- They employ a new teacher every year.
- The hotel employs many students in the summer.
Verbe
B1
action
2
Use something effectively
To use something like a plan, skill, or tool to do something.
Schéma d’usage :
to employ [a method/technique/tool]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may overuse 'employ' instead of simpler 'use' in informal contexts, making speech sound unnatural.
Synonymes
use ('Use' is more common and general; 'employ' is more formal or deliberate.)
Antonymes
ignore (To not make use of something when it could be used.)
Collocations
employ a strategy
|employ force
|employ technology
Thèmes
general
|methods
|problem-solving
|core_vocabulary
|work
Exemples
- The teacher employed several new techniques to help the students learn.
- We must employ all available resources to complete the project on time.
- The artist employed bright colors to create a cheerful mood.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He employed a new way to fix the car.
- We employed a map to find the park.
- She employed her skills to make the cake.
Nom
formal
C1
state
3
State of being employed by someone
The state of working for someone and getting paid.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this rare noun form with the verb form; it's mostly used in formal or legal contexts.
Synonymes
employment ('Employment' is more common; 'employ' as a noun is rare and formal.)
Antonymes
unemployment (The state of not having paid work.)
Collocations
in someone's employ
|remain in employ
Thèmes
business
|work
Exemples
- She has been in the company's employ for over ten years.
- During his employ at the firm, he developed several successful projects.
- Few people remain in the long-term employ of one organization today.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He is in the employ of a bank.
- She stayed in their employ for five years.
- I was in his employ last year.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
employ
API
GB/ɪmplˈɔɪ/
US/ɪmplˈɔɪ/
Syllabes et accentuation
em - ploy (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ploy)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: employ
- 3rd Person Singular: employs
- Present Participle: employing
- Past: employed
Famille de mots
Forms
employs
verb
employing
verb
employed
verb
Core family
Related words
employable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unemployed
adjective B1
unemployment
noun B1
Advanced or less common
employability
noun
Expressions
gainful employment
1/ɡˈeɪnfəl ɪmplˈɔɪmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
Paid work that provides income
A job that pays you enough to live on.
Exemples
- After months of searching, he finally found gainful employment.
- Many graduates struggle to secure gainful employment after college.
in someone's employ
1/ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɪmplˈɔɪ/
fixed phrase
formal
Working for someone
Working for and being paid by someone.
Exemples
- She has been in the company's employ for over a decade.
- During his time in their employ, he learned valuable skills.