I. em ‧ ploy 1 S3 W2 /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ BrE AmE 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.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say give someone a job rather than employ someone, and have a job rather than be employed :
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They gave him a job delivering furniture.
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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.
REGISTER
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.
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THESAURUS
▪ use :
Do you mind if I use your phone?
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They rebuilt the church using local stone.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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We are prepared to resort to force if necessary.
II. employ 2 BrE AmE 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.