payee

noun

pay·​ee (ˌ)pā-ˈē How to pronounce payee (audio)
: one to whom money is or is to be paid
The payee must endorse the back of the check.

Examples of payee in a Sentence

The payee must endorse the back of the check.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The park district was reportedly listed as the customer and payee in the contract. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 Enable alerts on bank and credit card accounts for large transactions, new payees, or changes to contact information. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026 As a new month starts, a new batch of Social Security benefit payments will be made for payees starting this week. — Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 If there is no representative payee, Social Security may choose to suspend benefits until a payee is appointed. — Diane Omdahl, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for payee

Word History

First Known Use

1758, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of payee was in 1758

Rhymes for payee

See All Rhymes for payee

Browse Nearby Words

PAYE
payee
Payena
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Payee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payee. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

payee

noun
pay·​ee pā-ˈē How to pronounce payee (audio)
: one to whom money is paid or is to be paid

Legal Definition

payee

noun
pay·​ee ˌpā-ˈē How to pronounce payee (audio)
: a person to whom money is to be or has been paid
specifically : the person named in a bill of exchange, note, or check as the one to whom the amount is directed to be paid compare drawee, drawer

More from Merriam-Webster on payee

Nglish: Translation of payee for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All