Word of the Day: Staff
A staff is a group of workers. In particular, this word is used for offices, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, and organizations. Although the word “staff” refers to members of a group, in American English this word is usually singular; in British English, it’s plural.
- The staff at that company is threatening to quit. (American English)
- The office staff are away on vacation. (British English)
- The company has a very large staff.
- The administration is meeting with faculty and staff. (faculty = teachers; staff = office workers and support)
- A cafeteria is available for hospital staff and visitors to the hospital.
- They need to find an office space for a staff of over 100 people.
- Several new staff members need to be trained on office software. (This sentence uses “staff” as an adjective.)
When the word “staff” is used as a verb, it means to put people into positions:
- They’ve staffed their organization with recent college graduates. (present perfect tense)
- The office is staffed with several very competent people. (present tense, passive voice)
Note: There are other words used to describe groups of workers:
- crew – used for construction and sailing
- team – used for small groups of people
- faculty – used for teachers and professors
- group – used for just about anything
- firm – used by lawyers and accountants
- shift – people who work a particular time
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with S page to see the list of all words starting with letter S. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
