recruitment

noun

re·​cruit·​ment ri-ˈkrüt-mənt 

1

: the action or process of recruiting

2

: the process of adding new individuals to a population or subpopulation (as of breeding or legally catchable individuals) by growth, reproduction, immigration, and stocking

also : a measure (as in numbers or biomass) of recruitment

Examples of recruitment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fahey is described by those involved as integral to the recruitment system, particularly given her breadth of knowledge. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026

McFadden said negative news coverage has made recruitment difficult, and that all law enforcement agencies are struggling to hire from the same pool of people. —Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026

Therefore, algorithms may be developed that preferentially select candidates that are similar to previous hires and increase an organization's liability related to the use of AI in hiring and the potential for discrimination or bias in the recruitment process. —Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

The recruitment company Monster, for example, reported at the end of last year that 75% of workers plan to stay put until at least 2027. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

recruitment

noun

re·​cruit·​ment ri-ˈkrüt-mənt 

1

: the increase in intensity of a reflex when the initiating stimulus is prolonged without alteration of intensity due to the activation of increasing numbers of motor neurons compare reinforcement

2

: an abnormally rapid increase in the sensation of loudness with increasing sound intensity that occurs in deafness of neural origin and especially in neural deafness of the aged in which soft sounds may be completely inaudible while louder sounds are distressingly loud