several employees

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "several employees" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a number of employees, typically indicating more than two but not a large number. Example: "Several employees attended the training session to improve their skills."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Several employees said the company was offering generous severance payments.

The New York Times

"G.M. subsequently dismissed several employees".

The New York Times

Several employees screamed.

The New York Times

We lost several employees.

The New York Times

The salon expands, taking on several employees.

The New York Times - Books

Several employees supplement that by adding other accounts manually.

The New York Times

He laid off several employees and consulted with his lawyers.

The New Yorker

"Several employees have been placed on administrative leave".

The New York Times

Several employees identified a Pakistani man in his 70s named Samuel as the owner.

The New York Times

RIM's situation has led several employees to leave the company of their own accord.

The New York Times - Tech

They also thought about reallocating several employees to approach organizations with large data management needs.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "several employees", ensure the context clarifies the total number of employees to provide a clearer picture to the reader. For instance, "Several employees, out of a workforce of 200, volunteered for the project".

Common error

Don't rely solely on "several employees" if precision is needed. If the exact number is known and relevant, use it for clarity. For example, instead of "Several employees were affected", specify "Five employees were affected" if that's the precise figure.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "several employees" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the subject or object in a sentence. Ludwig AI shows it's grammatically sound and commonly used, indicating a quantity of workers greater than two but not excessively numerous.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Formal & Business

15%

Academia

13%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "several employees" is a common and grammatically sound way to refer to a subset of a workforce. Ludwig AI confirms its usability across diverse contexts, primarily in news, business, and academic settings. When using this phrase, prioritize clarity by specifying numbers when possible, and avoid vague generalizations. Consider alternatives like "a number of employees" or "multiple employees" to fine-tune the tone and specificity of your writing. Remember that while grammatically correct and frequently used, contextual precision enhances communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a number of employees

Replaces "several" with "a number of", maintaining the meaning of more than a few but not many.

multiple employees

Uses "multiple" instead of "several", providing a more formal tone.

various employees

Emphasizes the diversity within the group of employees.

a few employees

Indicates a smaller quantity than "several", suggesting only a handful of employees.

some employees

A less specific term than "several", implying an indefinite number of employees.

certain employees

Highlights that the employees are a specific subset, rather than a random group.

numerous employees

Indicates a larger quantity than "several", suggesting a significant number of employees.

a few members of staff

Replaces "employees" with "members of staff", offering a more formal tone.

some staff members

Similar to "some employees" but uses the term "staff members".

a handful of workers

Informal replacement that suggest only a small number of people are affected.

FAQs

How can I use "several employees" in a sentence?

You can use "several employees" to indicate that a number of workers are involved in a situation, such as "Several employees participated in the training session" or "Several employees raised concerns about the new policy".

What are some alternatives to "several employees"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "a number of employees", "multiple employees", "a few employees", or "some employees".

Is it better to say "several employees" or specify the exact number?

If the exact number is known and important, it's generally better to specify it for clarity. However, "several employees" is appropriate when the exact number is unknown or not crucial to the context.

What's the difference between "several employees" and "many employees"?

"Several employees" suggests a smaller, more limited number than "many employees". "Many" implies a large, possibly unspecified quantity, while "several" implies more than a few, but not a large amount.