roster

noun

ros·​ter ˈrä-stər 

 also  ˈrȯ-,

 or  ˈrō-

1

a

: a roll or list of personnel

b

: such a list giving the order in which a duty is to be performed

a duty roster

c

: the persons listed on a roster

2

: an itemized list

Synonyms

• list
• listing

Examples of roster in a Sentence

His name has been added to the team roster.

The team has a roster of 40 players.

Recent Examples on the Web

That sounds obvious as the objective of the sport, but Indiana’s player development program works hard at improving the jump shooting ability of every player on the roster. —Tony East, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

Martin’s role in the rotation and Chen’s spot on the roster won’t be guaranteed when those players make their comebacks next week, but Friday’s win showed the Valkyries’ system has the depth to win games they aren’t supposed to. —Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 28 June 2025

More Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images There are plenty of ways the Knicks could look to improve their roster. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025

Instead, Reese will look to carve out a roster spot on perhaps the most famous team in basketball led by superstars LeBron James and Luka Dončić. —C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Dutch rooster, literally, gridiron; from the parallel lines

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for roster

• coster
• zoster
• exhauster
• imposter
• impostor

Kids Definition

roster

noun

ros·​ter ˈräs-tər 

: a list usually of people belonging to some group