1
2
a
: activity in which one engages or is employed
seeking gainful employment
b
: an instance of such activity
c
: the extent or degree to which a labor force is employed
Employment is high.
3
: the act of employing : the state of being employed
employment of a pen in sketching
Choose the Right Synonym for employment

work, employment, occupation, calling, pursuit, métier, business mean a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living.

work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

Examples of employment in a Sentence

laws that have encouraged the employment of women I've been looking for employment in the machine trade. The new factory should provide employment for hundreds of workers. unskilled workers trying to find paid employment
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tony had just returned to employment at the store, freshly sober and needing a job. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025 Phyllis Hope Stitt, 61, worked at the Employment Development Department as an employment program representative, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2025 Authorities have also launched emergency employment initiatives to force private industry, government, and financial institutions to hire as many people as possible. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025 The Greater Bridgeport-Stamford Area is an employment center with industry concentrations in manufacturing, healthcare, and retail/services. Rohit Arora, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for employment

Word History

Etymology

Middle English employement "expenditure of funds," from emploien "to apply to a task, employ entry 1" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of employment was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Employment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/employment. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

employment

noun
1
: use entry 1 sense 1a, purpose
also : the act of using
2
a
: the act of hiring a person for work
b
: the job for which one is hired : occupation
c
: the state of being employed
employment in the machine trade
d
: the relative number of persons in a labor force who are employed
employment is high

Legal Definition

employment

noun
em·​ploy·​ment
1
: an activity or service performed for another especially for compensation or as an occupation
2
: the act of employing : the state of being employed

More from Merriam-Webster on employment

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