noun

employee

Someone paid to work for a person or organization.

Each employee receives a paycheck at the end of the month.

Etymology

Employ means to put someone’s services to use. The ending marks the recipient of that action, so an employee is the person engaged to work.

More examples

  • The store has five full-time employees.
  • As a new employee, I have questions about health insurance.
  • Employees can work from home two days a week.

Forms

employee · employees

employer noun — Person or organization that pays workers.

employment noun — The state of having paid work.

Similar words

worker
Worker can include someone who works without being paid.
staffer
Staffer emphasizes membership in an organization's staff, often informally.