Synonyms for employment
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Occupation
use, occupation, business, service, exercise, trade, profession, office, application, vocation, situation UK, place, utilization, utilisation UK, pursuit, post, line, craft, station, usage, function, play, task
Other
work, employ, engagement, hire, toil
Definitions
- n. 1
The occupation or work for which one is used, and often paid.
Related words
Forms
- Plural
- employments → uses, occupations, businesses, services…
Choose the right word
Business, occupation, etc., may be what one does independently; employment may be in the service of another.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- trade Abraham Lincoln's father was a carpenter by trade.
- occupation Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara is illegal.
- profession That's the most enjoyable aspect of my profession.
- vocation Never choose a vocation just because it looks easy.
- hire Have you already decided who you're going to hire?
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| employment | falling | |
| trade | falling | |
| occupation | falling | |
| profession | falling | |
| vocation | steady | |
| hire | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- use1
- 4 letters
- work1, play1, line1, post1, task1, hire2, toil1
- 5 letters
- place1, trade1, craft1, usage2
- 6 letters
- office2, employ2
- 7 letters
- service2, station2, pursuit2
- 8 letters
- business2, function2, exercise3, vocation3
- 9 letters
- situation4
- 10 letters
- engagement3, occupation4, profession3
- 11 letters
- application4, utilization5, utilisation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hire2 = 2 syllables).