noun
Common
roster
ROS-tuh
Roster (noun) means a list of people assigned to a team, unit, or organization. Example: “Every child on the school roster received a certificate at the end of term.”
noun
1
A list of people assigned to a team, unit, or organization.
"Every child on the school roster received a certificate at the end of term."
"The coach trimmed the roster down to twenty-three players."
"Her name was added to the hospital's nursing roster."
2
A schedule showing who is due to work, and when.
"I swapped shifts with a colleague because the new roster clashed with my course."
"The manager pins the weekly roster to the staff room noticeboard every Friday."
"Check the roster before you book time off next month."
verb
1
To put someone's name on such a list or schedule.
"The manager will roster two extra waiters for the busy bank holiday weekend."
"Nurses are rostered in rotating teams so nobody works every weekend."
"She was rostered for the night shift on Friday."
How to use roster
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA list of people belonging to a team or organization, often with a schedule of who does what and when.
Common pairings
team roster
duty roster
on the roster
rostered on
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Word forms
- Plural
- rosters
- Third person singular
- rosters
- Past tense
- rostered
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Every child on the school _____ received a certificate at the end of term.
Etymology
From Dutch rooster, originally meaning "gridiron" or "table/list," from roosten, "to roast" — the ruled lines of a schedule apparently reminded people of the bars of a grill.
Related words
Rhymes for roster
See all rhymes for roster →Frequently asked questions
What does “roster” mean?
The word “roster” means a list of people assigned to a team, unit, or organization. In plain terms, a list of people belonging to a team or organization, often with a schedule of who does what and when.
How do you pronounce “roster”?
“Roster” is pronounced ROS-tuh (/ˈɹɔ.stɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “roster” in a sentence?
Here is “roster” used in a sentence: “The coach trimmed the roster down to twenty-three players.”
What part of speech is “roster”?
Depending on how it is used, “roster” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “roster” come from?
The word “roster” comes from Dutch. From Dutch rooster, originally meaning "gridiron" or "table/list," from roosten, "to roast" — the ruled lines of a schedule apparently reminded people of the bars of a grill.
Is “roster” a common word?
“Roster” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “roster” have?
“Roster” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a list of people assigned to a team, unit, or organization.
What is the difference between a roster and a rota?
Both words can name a schedule showing who is due to work and when. Rota is chiefly British and usually refers to a rotating cycle of duties, while roster is used in both British and American English and can also mean the full list of people on a team, unit, or organization.
What is the difference between a roster and a schedule?
A schedule is any plan showing when things will happen, while a roster is specifically about people — either the list of people who belong to a team or organization, or the plan showing who works when. Every work roster is a kind of schedule, but not every schedule is a roster.
Is it roster or rooster?
A roster is a list of people or a work schedule, while a rooster is an adult male chicken. The words are unrelated, but they are often confused in writing because they differ by a single letter.
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