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 of roster

• 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

But when asked about the duo, McKillop elected to talk about the entire backcourt, making play-time decisions challenging this early in the season with a brand new roster. —Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 12 Nov. 2025

The Mavs are one of the worst teams in the NBA, with a roster that fans not only don’t know, but don’t care to know. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025

The New York Mets are sure to make roster changes this offseason after missing the playoffs this season. —Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025

Excel represents roughly 750 clients, with deep rosters in baseball, basketball, football and golf. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 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