staff
stahf
Staff (noun) means the people who work for an organisation. Example: “All staff must wear a name badge while they are at work.”
noun
1
The people who work for an organisation.
"All staff must wear a name badge while they are at work."
"The hotel staff were incredibly helpful."
"We need to hire more staff before the busy season."
2
A long stick or rod, sometimes carried as a symbol of authority or used for support while walking.
"The wizard in the story struck the ground with his tall wooden staff."
"The hikers each carried a sturdy staff to help them on the steep path."
"The old shepherd leaned on his staff."
3
In music, the set of horizontal lines that notes are written on.
"The first note sits on the second line of the staff."
"Our teacher showed us where to write the treble clef at the start of the staff."
"She drew five lines to make a musical staff."
verb
1
To supply an organisation with workers.
"The charity staffs its shop entirely with volunteers who give up their weekends."
"It is hard to staff a restaurant when so many people are on holiday."
"The new clinic is fully staffed and ready to open."
How to use staff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe employees of a business, or a rod/pole (literal or musical).
Common mistake
Treat "staff" as a collective noun — "the staff is" (US) or "the staff are" (UK) are both used depending on regional style; don't write "staffs" for a group of employees.
UK vs US
UK usage often takes a plural verb with "staff" ("the staff are"), while US usage more often takes singular ("the staff is").
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Word forms
- Plural
- staffs, staves
- Third person singular
- staffs
- Past tense
- staffed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
All _____ must wear a name badge while they are at work.
Etymology
From Old English stæf, originally meaning a stick or letter of the alphabet; the "team of employees" sense arrived much later, borrowed from the military use of "staff" for an officer's support team.
Related words
Rhymes for staff
See all rhymes for staff →Frequently asked questions
What does “staff” mean?
The word “staff” means the people who work for an organisation. In plain terms, the employees of a business, or a rod/pole (literal or musical).
How do you pronounce “staff”?
“Staff” is pronounced stahf ([stæf] in IPA).
How do you use “staff” in a sentence?
Here is “staff” used in a sentence: “The hotel staff were incredibly helpful.”
What is another word for “staff”?
Words with a similar meaning to “staff” include stick and stave.
What part of speech is “staff”?
Depending on how it is used, “staff” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “staff” come from?
The word “staff” comes from Old English. From Old English stæf, originally meaning a stick or letter of the alphabet; the "team of employees" sense arrived much later, borrowed from the military use of "staff" for an officer's support team.
Is “staff” a common word?
“Staff” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “staff” have?
“Staff” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the people who work for an organisation.
Is 'staff' singular or plural?
Staff is a collective noun, so it works both ways. In British English it usually takes a plural verb — 'the staff are on strike' — because it refers to many people. American English tends to treat it as singular — 'the staff is meeting today.' To count individuals, say 'members of staff.'
What is the difference between staff and employees?
Employees are the individual people a company hires, each with a contract. Staff is the collective term for that whole workforce taken together. You might say a firm has 200 employees, or that its staff handled the rush — one word counts individuals, the other names the group as a whole.
What is the plural of staff?
When staff means people, it is already plural or stays as 'staff'; you can also say 'staffs' for several separate groups, such as the staffs of two hospitals. Note that 'staves' is the plural of the unrelated meaning of staff — a wooden rod or pole — not of the workforce sense.
What is an example of staff?
Any group of people employed by an organisation: the teaching staff of a school, the medical staff of a hospital, the kitchen staff of a restaurant, or the support staff in an office. Each phrase names the workers who keep that particular organisation running.
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