employ

Employ is a verb with several related uses in modern English. The primary sense is to provide work for someone by hiring or engaging them, or to be engaged by an organization in return for wages. A broader sense is to use or apply something for a particular purpose, such as employing a method, a tool, or a policy.

Examples illustrate the distinction: “The company employs 150 people.” “She employs a cautious approach to budgeting.” “The program employs a combination of incentives and training.” The verb can also appear in phrases that emphasize utilization of resources or strategies.

Employed also functions as an adjective and as a noun in certain forms. The phrase in the employ of indicates that someone is under the service of another person or organization. The noun employment denotes the state of having paid work.

Origin and related terms: The verb is derived from Old French employer, through Middle English employen. It has yielded related words such as employee and employer, and the noun employment.

Context: In economics and labor law, employment describes the availability and use of paid work, and an employer is the entity that hires. The verb employ is closely related to hire but carries a broader sense of using resources, methods, or staff over time. The term is used across business, government, and technology to indicate engagement or application.