Etymologically
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employer

Etymology and origin of the English word employer

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1595

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɪmˈplɔɪ.ɚ/, /ɛmˈplɔɪ.ɚ/; /ɪmˈplɔɪə/, /ɛmˈplɔɪə/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from employ and the agent suffix -er.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who employs or makes use of something: 1595 in MWU, the 1590s in Etymonline.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Specifically one who employs servants or workers for wages is from 1599.[5] SOED notes the old spelling imployer.[3]

Timeline

  • 1595 – one who employs.[4]
  • 1599 – one who employs workers.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person or organization that pays people to work for them.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Employer.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/employer. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·