the department that determines the amounts of wage or salary due to each employee
"The new manager was assigned to oversee payroll to ensure every employee received their correct wages on time."
A list of employees who receive salary or wages, together with the amounts due to each.
"The manager reviewed the payroll before sending it to accounting to ensure every employee's wage was calculated correctly."
In plain English: Payroll is the total amount of money an employer pays to all their employees for working during a specific period, usually every two weeks or month.
"The company announced that all employees would receive their payroll by Friday morning."
Usage: Payroll refers specifically to the total amount of money paid to all employees in an organization during a specific period, rather than just the individual list itself. Use this term when discussing company expenses related to salaries and wages, not as a synonym for personal income or general compensation costs.
To place on a payroll.
"The new manager will be placed on the company's payroll starting next week."
The word payroll is a straightforward combination of pay and roll, referring to the list or register used by employers to track wages owed to their employees. It entered English as a practical term for this specific administrative document rather than evolving from an older, unrelated meaning.