staff

1 of 2

noun

plural staffs ˈstafs How to pronounce staff (audio)
ˈstavz
or staves
ˈstavz,
ˈstāvz How to pronounce staff (audio)
1
a
: a long stick carried in the hand for support in walking
b
: a supporting rod: such as
(1)
archaic : shaft sense 1a(1)
(2)
: a crosspiece in a ladder or chair : rung
(3)
(4)
: a pivoted arbor
c
2
a
b
: a rod carried as a symbol of office or authority
3
: the horizontal lines with their spaces on which music is written

called also stave

4
: any of various graduated sticks or rules used for measuring : rod
5
plural staffs
a
: the officers chiefly responsible for the internal operations of an institution or business
b
: a group of officers appointed to assist a civil executive or commanding officer
c
: military or naval officers not eligible for operational command
d
: the personnel who assist a director in carrying out an assigned task
e
plural staff : a member of a staff
employs three full-time staff
staff adjective

staff

2 of 2

verb

staffed; staffing; staffs

transitive verb

1
: to supply with a staff or with workers
2
: to serve as a staff member of
an organization staffed by volunteers

Examples of staff in a Sentence

Noun The entire staff has done a great job this year. The staff is at a meeting. She's a new member of the staff. The general's staff is planning the army's next move. Verb We'll need 300 workers to properly staff the hotel. the 300 workers who staff the hotel
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.
Noun
The Minnesota Reformer reported last month that Minneapolis Public Schools has been conducting staff trainings since December on how to respond if immigration officials demand access to a student. Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2025 Not even these groundbreaking institutions could escape it, however hard some of their administrators, staff, and supporters tried. TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
In Los Angeles, where devastating wildfires killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes in January, the fire department is less staffed than almost any other major city, with less than one firefighter for every 1,000 residents. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025 Zoom in: The Carbon Removal Alliance, an industry group seeking stronger state and federal policies to incentivize such technologies, is staffing up. Andrew Freedman, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for staff 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English staf, from Old English stæf; akin to Old High German stab staff, Sanskrit stabhnāti he supports

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of staff was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near staff

Cite this Entry

“Staff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/staff. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

staff

1 of 2 noun
plural staffs ˈstafs How to pronounce staff (audio)
ˈstavz
or staves ˈstavz How to pronounce staff (audio)
ˈstāvz
1
a
: a pole, stick, rod, or bar used as a support or as a sign of authority
a flag hanging limp on its staff
b
: the long handle of a weapon (as a lance or pike)
2
: something that is a source of strength
bread is the staff of life
3
: the five horizontal lines and the spaces between them on which music is written
4
plural staffs
a
: a group of persons serving as assistants to or employees under a chief
a hospital staff
b
: military officers who assist a commanding officer in planning and management but who do not take part in actual combat
staff adjective

staff

2 of 2 verb
: to supply with a staff or with workers

Medical Definition

staff

noun
: the doctors and surgeons regularly attached to a hospital and helping to determine its policies and guide its activities

More from Merriam-Webster on staff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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