1
: a paymaster's or employer's list of those entitled to pay and of the amounts due to each
2
: the sum necessary for distribution to those on a payroll
also
: the money to be distributed
Examples of payroll in a Sentence
They cut him from their payroll.
He's the manager of a baseball team with a $50 million payroll.
Businesses are keeping their payrolls low by embracing new technologies.
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because most of the money financing Social Security checks comes from the payroll taxes being paid regularly by working people.
—
Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 31 May 2024
Kassan’s attorney shot back that Kassan had decided to leave to start a rival firm, and that UTA had offered a deal to keep him on the payroll.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 May 2024
This bonus will first be reflected in May’s payroll, per The National.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 15 May 2024
Metro-area nonfarm payroll employment totaled 846,800 for March, down 7,000 from one year ago.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for payroll 
Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 31 May 2024
Kassan’s attorney shot back that Kassan had decided to leave to start a rival firm, and that UTA had offered a deal to keep him on the payroll.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 May 2024
This bonus will first be reflected in May’s payroll, per The National.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 15 May 2024
Metro-area nonfarm payroll employment totaled 846,800 for March, down 7,000 from one year ago.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for payroll
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'payroll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near payroll
Cite this Entry
“Payroll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payroll. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
payroll
noun
pay·roll
ˈpā-ˌrōl 
1
: a list of persons entitled to receive pay with the amounts due to each
2
: the amount of money necessary to pay those on a payroll
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