hire

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: payment for the temporary use of something
b
: payment for labor or personal services : wages
2
a
: the act or an instance of hiring (see hire entry 2)
laws regarding the hire of workers
b
: the state of being hired : employment
3
British : rental
the hire of equipment
often used attributively
a hire car
4
: one who is hired
starting wage for the new hires

hire

2 of 2

verb

hired; hiring

transitive verb

1
a
: to engage the personal services of for a set sum
hire a crew
b
: to engage the temporary use of for a fixed sum
hire a hall
2
: to grant the personal services of or temporary use of for a fixed sum
hire themselves out
3
: to get done for pay
hire the mowing done

intransitive verb

: to take employment
hire out as a guide during the tourist season
hirer noun
Phrases
for hire or less commonly on hire
: available for use or service in return for payment
They have boats for hire.
willing to do farm work for hire
Choose the Right Synonym for hire

hire, let, lease, rent, charter mean to engage or grant for use at a price.

hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

Examples of hire in a Sentence

Noun The company has a few new hires. The hire of a car and other equipment will of course incur a supplementary charge. Verb She had very little office experience, so the company wouldn't hire her. We hired someone to clean the office once a week. The company isn't hiring right now.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But while Klopp isn’t joining Leipzig directly, the Bundesliga club still felt bullish about the hire. Manuel Veth, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Six in 10 employers are simply firing some of their new hires after just months on the job, instead of training them. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Few companies are explicit on this distinction when reporting density metrics, and headcount can fluctuate especially with large bursts of hiring or staff reductions, so density per seat remains more consistent than per person. Phil Kirschner, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 Amazon hired Hoggett, a grocery industry veteran, in early 2022 to run the e-commerce giant’s forays into brick-and-mortar stores. Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hire 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English hȳr; akin to Old Saxon hūria hire

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hire was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hire

Cite this Entry

“Hire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hire. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hire

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: payment for temporary use
b
: payment for services : wages
2
a
: the act of hiring
b
: the state of being hired : employment

hire

2 of 2 verb
hired; hiring
1
: employ entry 1 sense 2
hire a new crew
2
: to get the temporary use of for a set sum
hire a hall
3
: to take a job
hired out as a cook
hirer noun

Legal Definition

hire

1 of 2 noun
1
: payment for the temporary use of something or for labor or services
2
a
: the act or an instance of hiring
from the date of hire until now
b
: the state of being hired : employment
while he was in the hire of the defendant
3
: one who is hired
all new hires will enjoy the same medical benefits

hire

2 of 2 verb
hired; hiring

transitive verb

1
: to engage the personal services of or the temporary use of for a fixed sum
2
: to grant the personal services of or the temporary use of

intransitive verb

: to take employment
hirer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hire

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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