staunch

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstȯnch How to pronounce staunch (audio)
ˈstänch
variants or less commonly stanch
ˈstȯnch How to pronounce staunch (audio)
ˈstänch,
ˈstanch
1
: steadfast in loyalty or principle
a staunch friend
2
b
: strongly built : substantial
staunchly adverb
staunchness noun

staunch

2 of 2

verb

ˈstȯnch How to pronounce staunch (audio)
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)
2
a
: to stop or check in its course
trying to stanch the crime wave
b
: to make watertight : stop up
3
archaic : allay, extinguish

Did you know?

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

Choose the Right Synonym for staunch

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

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
Duncan, also a staunch Republican, is not only voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, but endorsed her in a speech at the Democratic National Convention, urging other Republicans to follow his lead. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 4 Oct. 2024 As a member of Congress, Nunes was known as one of Trump’s staunchest loyalists. Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
But in order to make this turn, Washington will need a responsible Saudi Arabia that works with other U.S. allies and partners to staunch the region’s sources of instability and conflict. Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2021 Use of the water-rich gels have been studied as a way to heal brain injuries and chronic wounds, function as a cartilage replacement that performs better than the real thing, and staunch the bleeding from wounds inflicted in battle. Michael Franco, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for staunch 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'staunch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English staunche, stanch "watertight, solidly made, in good repair," borrowed from Anglo-French estanc, feminine estaunche "stanched (of blood), watertight," derivative of estancher "to stop (blood from flowing), (of a wound) stop bleeding, (of water) be stanched, dry up" — more at stanch entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of staunch was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near staunch

Cite this Entry

“Staunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/staunch. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

staunch

1 of 2

variant of stanch entry 1

staunch

2 of 2 adjective
variants or stanch
ˈstȯnch,
ˈstänch
1
a
: watertight sense 1, sound
a staunch ship
b
: strongly built : substantial
staunch foundations
2
: steadfast in loyalty or principle
a staunch friend
staunchly adverb

Medical Definition

staunch

variant of stanch

More from Merriam-Webster on staunch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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