staff

noun \ ˈstaf \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: staff in a Sentence

Definition of staff

plural staffs play \ˈstafs, ˈstavz\ or staves play \ˈstavz, ˈstāvz\

1 a : a long stick carried in the hand for support in walking

b : a supporting rod: such as

(1) archaic : shaft 1a(1)

(2) : a crosspiece in a ladder or chair : rung

(3) : flagstaff

(4) : a pivoted arbor

c : club, cudgel

2 a : crosier

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

See staff defined for English-language learners

See staff defined for kids

Examples of staff in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of staff from the Web

The officials say she was found hanging by housekeeping staff inside her Park Avenue apartment at about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday.

— colleen long, Cincinnati.com, "Officials: Designer Kate Spade found dead in apartment," 5 June 2018
The officials say she was found hanging by housekeeping staff inside her Park Avenue apartment at about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday.

— colleen long, Detroit Free Press, "Officials: Designer Kate Spade found dead in N.Y. apartment," 5 June 2018
Each month, there will also be a winner of two-night stay at Stowe Mountain Lodge, two spa treatments and dinner for two chosen by Stowe Mountain Lodge staff.

— nancy trejos, USA TODAY, "Best travel contests for June 2018: Win trips to Vermont, Switzerland and Tanzania," 4 June 2018
The Political Punch newsletter publishes every Tuesday and Thursday between noon and 3 p.m. It is produced by the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle and edited by politics editor Trapper Byrne.

— trapper byrne, San Francisco Chronicle, "Election 2018: Bay Area voters, this is your guide to a jam-packed primary," 4 June 2018
The events will feature finger plays, songs and books read by St. Charles Public Library staff.

— michelle mullins, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin News Digest," 1 June 2018
Since then, all the volunteer departments in the backcountry, but one, have been absorbed by the county and their stations have been manned by professional Cal Fire staff.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Plans to dissolve volunteer fire department in Julian draws a protest," 1 June 2018
Hotel accommodations make up the largest cost for international travel by legislative staff, totaling about $92,000 in the past five years.

— alexei koseff, sacbee, "Paris, Japan, Mexico City, Brazil – legislative staff travel at taxpayer expense," 1 June 2018
The four peacocks were part of a larger flock that roams freely on the zoo's grounds and that is cared for by veterinary staff.

— Fox News, "1 of 4 peacocks that roamed from Philadelphia Zoo found dead," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'staff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of staff

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

staff Synonyms

Synonyms

bat, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, club, cudgel, nightstick, rod, shillelagh (also shillalah), truncheon;

Related Words

blackjack, knobkerrie, mace;

birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch;

beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer;

crook, crosier (or crozier), walking stick;

staff

verb

Definition of staff

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

See staff defined for English-language learners

Examples of staff in a Sentence

We'll need 300 workers to properly staff the hotel.
the 300 workers who staff the hotel

Recent Examples of staff from the Web

Christann Gainey, a 30-year-old nurse who worked for an outside agency and was temporarily staffing at the facility, was arrested last month on charges including involuntary manslaughter and tampering with paperwork.

— Washington Post, "Facility faulted in death of former Trump adviser’s father," 4 June 2018
Meanwhile, for months, Waymo has been staffing up its operations center in Chandler, Arizona, (the center for its forthcoming Phoenix-area taxi service) as well as its Google Mountain View headquarters.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "As Uber and Tesla struggle with driverless cars, Waymo moves forward," 1 June 2018
One of the many, many other men who got staffed this season took your job.

— lesley goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Advice to Male TV Writers Who Didn't Get Staffed: Don't Blame #MeToo," 1 June 2018
Such centers—staffed during emergencies by officials from the airport, airlines, terminal operators, baggage handlers and federal and local agencies—are standard at major airports around the country, Mr. LaHood said.

— paul berger, WSJ, "Poor Management to Blame for JFK Airport’s Winter Debacle, Report Says," 31 May 2018
On Wednesday, the cafeteria was short staffed, but there were still hundreds of students who needed to be fed.

— caitlin o'kane, CBS News, "Texas school principal goes viral after serving breakfast to more than 400 kids," 26 May 2018
Firms listed in the FTSE 350 see technology putting them out 430,000 pounds ($600,000) and staffing another 201,000 to 400,000 pounds.

— Fortune, "What Is GDPR? Why Privacy Is Now Stronger in EU Than U.S.," 25 May 2018
The judges who staff our criminal and civil courts are elected by voters who usually pick them based on nothing more than the sound of their names.

— maya dukmasova, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / Crime / Criminal Justice That time a Cook County judge ruled on the case of a man he himself put in prison when he was still a prosecutor," 25 May 2018
The committee will meet in June to discuss topics such as the idea of using and staffing metal detectors and ensuring control of access to all schools, Superintendent Greg Smith said in a May 20 statement.

— jaimy jones, Houston Chronicle, "Clear Creek ISD parents’ ideas for boosting school safety include metal detectors, arming teachers," 23 May 2018

First Known Use of staff

1859

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

STAFF Defined for English Language Learners

staff

noun

Definition of staff for English Language Learners

: a group of people who work for an organization or business
: a group of military officers who help a commanding officer but who do not take part in active fighting
: a long stick that you carry in your hand for support while walking

staff

verb

Definition of staff for English Language Learners

: to supply (an organization or business) with workers
: to work for (an organization or business) as a member of a staff

STAFF Defined for Kids

staff

noun \ ˈstaf \

Definition of staff for Students

plural staffs or staves \ˈstavz\

1 : a pole, stick, rod, or bar used as a support or as a sign of authority

the staff of a flag

a bishop's staff

2 pl staffs : a group of persons serving as assistants to or employees under a chief

a hospital staff

the administrative staff

3 : the five parallel lines with their four spaces on which music is written

4 : something that is a source of strength

Bread is the staff of life.

5 pl staffs : a group of military officers who plan and manage for a commanding officer

Medical Dictionary

staff

noun \ ˈstaf \

medical Definition of staff

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

Learn More about staff

See words that rhyme with staff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for staff Spanish Central: Translation of staff Nglish: Translation of staff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of staff for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about staff

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staff

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Synonyms

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staff

Definition of staff

Examples of staff in a Sentence

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First Known Use of staff

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STAFF Defined for English Language Learners

staff

Definition of staff for English Language Learners

staff

Definition of staff for English Language Learners

STAFF Defined for Kids

staff

Definition of staff for Students

Medical Dictionary

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medical Definition of staff

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