employ
[verb]
Synonyms:
- hire, commission, engage, enlist, retain, take on
- keep busy, engage, fill, make use of, occupy, take up, use up
- use, apply, bring to bear, exercise, exert, make use of, ply, put to use, utilize
[noun]
Synonyms:
- in the employ of: service, employment, engagement, hire

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Related Words: avail, exert, practice, work, devote, engross, monopolize, add, contract (for), obtain, procure, retain, secure, sign (on or up)

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English Thesaurus: use, make use of something, employ, utilize, exploit, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. em‧ploy¹ S3 W2 /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: employee, employer, employment ≠ unemployment, unemployed, employ; adjective: employed ≠ unemployed, employable ≠ unemployable; verb: employ]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: emploier 'to use', from Latin implicare; ⇒ implicate]

1. to pay someone to work for you:
The factory employs over 2,000 people.
employ somebody as something
Kelly is employed as a mechanic.
employ somebody to do something
We have been employed to look at ways of reducing waste.

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In everyday English, people usually say give someone a job rather than employ someone, and have a job rather than be employed:
They gave him a job delivering furniture.
He has a job at the factory.

2. to use a particular object, method, skill etc in order to achieve something
employ a method/technique/tactic etc
The report examines teaching methods employed in the classroom.

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In everyday English, people usually say use a method rather than employ a method.

3. [usually passive] formal to spend your time doing a particular thing
be employed in (doing) something
Her days are employed in gardening and voluntary work.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. employ² noun
[Word Family: noun: employee, employer, employment ≠ unemployment, unemployed, employ; adjective: employed ≠ unemployed, employable ≠ unemployable; verb: employ]
in sb’s employ old-fashioned working for someone:
He had a number of servants in his employ.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

employ
verb
I. pay sb to work
ADV. directly, indirectly By 1960 the arms industry in America directly employed 3.5 million people.
PREP. in A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.
PHRASES be fully employed 10% of 10?15-year-old girls were fully employed as late as 1911.
be gainfully employed Those not gainfully employed are dependent on their savings.
be permanently/temporarily employed, be regularly/irregularly employed

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

employ
II. use
ADV. commonly, extensively, frequently, often, widely The safety net is an image commonly employed in everyday life.
generally, usually | actively, deliberately teaching that actively employs computers in innovative and fruitful ways
successfully, usefully
VERB + EMPLOY can/could The army has far more junior officers than it can usefully employ.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

employ
III. be employed: be busy doing sth
ADV. better You'd be far better employed taking care of your own affairs.
busily, usefully
PREP. in Will and Joe were busily employed in clearing out all the furniture.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

use:
Do you mind if I use your phone?
They rebuilt the church using local stone.
We use a range of different methods.
make use of something to use something that is available to you:
Staff can make use of a wide range of facilities.
She made full use of her contacts within the organization.
employ formal to use a particular method or skill in order to achieve something:
The surgeons employed a new technique.
They employed every means at their disposal (=every available method).
utilize formal to use something that is available to you, for a practical purpose:
The company has developed a new way to utilize solar energy.
a better way of utilizing the space
exploit to use something as fully and effectively as possible, or to use something that will give you an advantage over your opponent:
The country’s natural resources have not yet been fully exploited.
He was quick to exploit any weakness in his opponent’s argument.
apply to use something such as a method, idea, or system in a particular situation:
New technology is being applied to almost every industrial process.
I wanted to apply the things that I had learned on the course.
draw on something to use information, knowledge, or experience that you have learned in the past:
He was able to draw on his own experience as a diplomat when he was writing the book.
Journalists draw on information from many different sources.
resort to something to use violence, force, threats etc as a way of achieving something:
Extremists on both sides resort to violence.
We are prepared to resort to force if necessary.
exercise formal to use your rights, authority, influence etc:
Only 40% of the poulation exercised their right to vote.
Congress must decide whether to exercise its veto.
wield /wiːld/ formal to use great power or influence:
The central banks wield enormous power.
widespread/extensive use (=when something is used in many places or situations, or among many people)
The widespread use of computers changed business completely.
efficient use
Doing the work in stages makes the most efficient use of resources.
effective use
We need to consider whether there could be a more effective use of our time.
heavy/frequent use (=when something is used a lot)
The heavy use of pesticides in the area led to severe health problems.
regular use
These drugs are not recommended for regular use.
greater use
We want to encourage employees to make greater use of the sports facilities.
land use
Our department is responsible for establishing the guidelines for land use in the county.
drug/alcohol use
Drug use among teenage boys is on the increase.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲