staunch

adjective

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\ ˈstȯnch

, ˈstänch \

variants: or less commonly stanch \ ˈstȯnch

, ˈstänch , ˈstanch \

Definition of staunch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : steadfast in loyalty or principle a staunch friend

2a : watertight, sound

b : strongly built : substantial

staunch

verb

\ ˈstȯnch

, ˈstänch \

variant of stanch entry 1

transitive verb

1 : to check or stop the flowing of stanched her tears also : to stop the flow of blood from (a wound)

2a : to stop or check in its course trying to stanch the crime wave

b : to make watertight : stop up

3 archaic : allay, extinguish

Other Words from staunch Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Staunch and Stanch More Example Sentences Learn More About staunch

Choose the Right Synonym for staunch

Adjective

faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance. faithful implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted. faithful to her promise loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray. remained loyal to the czar constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows. constant friends staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it. a staunch defender of free speech steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction. steadfast in their support resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose. a resolute ally

Staunch and Stanch

Both stanch and staunch come from the Anglo-French estancher, meaning “to check or stop the flowing of.” Both have been in use for many hundreds of years. And most dictionaries will list them as having the exact same meaning. They are, in fact, variants of each other. But there's a catch: staunch is more commonly used as an adjective (it has several meanings in this role, including “steadfast in loyalty or principle” and "substantial"), and stanch is more commonly used as a verb (common meanings are "to check or stop the flowing of" and "to stop or check in its course"). Here are example of each in typical use:

a staunch supporter/advocate

staunch resistance/allegiance

to stanch the flow/bleeding

stanching the loss of jobs/revenue

Note that saying that something is more commonly used in some way does not necessarily mean that people who choose to use it in the less common way are wrong. There is a considerable body of evidence, from reputable sources, of staunch and stanch being used in their less common roles.

Some people will tell you that you should always keep these words apart, and if you’d like to do this you may find the following sentence of some assistance in helping you to remember the difference: "A staunch friend would help you stanch a bleeding thumb."

Alternatively, you may rely on the time-honored method of people-who-remember-things-poorly and use this limerick:

Tho’ neither stanch nor staunch must conform
To rigid semantical norm
Some editors will blanch,
When encountering stanch
If it’s used in adjective form

Examples of staunch in a Sentence

Adjective She is a staunch advocate of women's rights. He's a staunch believer in the value of regular exercise. I'm one of his staunchest supporters.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The post drew 70 comments in response, many of them offering staunch support for Snarski. — Gavin Good, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2022 Local leaders pointed to the efforts of military and civilian law enforcement agencies and the staunch support of the city’s residents. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2022 Darmanin has polarized the electorate with a staunch support for the French police, gaining strong support from influential police unions while alienating much of the left. — Rim-sarah Alouane, CNN, 20 Apr. 2022 So Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Munich Security Conference and met with Zelenskyy and reaffirmed the US's support, staunch support, for Ukraine. — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2022 In both 2018 and 2020, Hagedorn touted his staunch support for Trump and conservative positions. — Steve Karnowski, ajc, 19 Feb. 2022 Germany’s staunch support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, despite opposition from allies, undermines the West’s response to Vladimir Putin’s designs to dominate Eastern Europe. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2021 The differing treatment underscores the West’s staunch support for the Belarusian opposition — and illustrates the harsh moral choices being made by European countries determined to resist migration from other continents. — New York Times, 23 Nov. 2021 For instance, both have voiced staunch support for having social workers and clinicians respond to emergency calls involving mental health situations, which police have typically handled in the past. — BostonGlobe.com, 29 Oct. 2021 See More

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