employing

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   giving someone a paid job; having people work for you

   Grammar: Takes an object: The company employs 200 people. In the -ing form: The company is employing more staff.

   Patterns

   • employ someone
   • employ someone as something
   • be employed by someone

   The factory is employing more workers this year.

   She was employed as a translator by the government.

   Employing young people can bring fresh ideas.

2. 2verbtransitiveformal

   using something such as a method, tool, or skill

   Grammar: Takes an object, often an abstract noun: employ a technique. In the -ing form: employing a new method.

   Patterns

   • employ a method
   • employ a strategy
   • employ a technique

   The team is employing a new strategy to increase sales.

   Employing the latest technology, the lab made a breakthrough.

   He employed all his charm to persuade her.

Word forms

Common combinations

employing staff

The hotel is employing staff for the summer season.

employing a method

They are employing a new method to teach reading.

employing people

The charity is employing people to run the program.

be employing more

The company is employing more engineers than before.

Synonyms and how they differ

hire

More informal and often used for a single act of giving a job; employ is more formal and can refer to ongoing employment.

use

Use is the general word for applying something; employ is more formal and often used with methods or skills.

Opposites

Word family

employ verb

To give work to someone or to use something.

employee noun

A person who works for someone else.

employer noun

A person or company that pays people to work.

employment noun

The state of having a paid job.

unemployed adjective

Without a job.

Commonly confused: employing or employee?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “employing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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