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Synonyms

roster

American  
[ros-ter] / ˈrɒs tər /

noun

  1. a list of persons or groups, as of military personnel or units with their turns or periods of duty.

    Synonyms:
    record, panel, slate, listing

  2. any list, roll, or register.

    a roster of famous scientists; a roster of coming events.
    Synonyms:
    record, panel, slate, listing
roster 1 British  
/ ˈrɒstə /

noun

  1. a list or register, esp one showing the order of people enrolled for duty

  2. marketing the list of advertising agencies regularly used by a particular company

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to place on a roster

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
roster 2 British  
/ ˈrɒstə /

noun

  1. dialect a rascal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does roster mean? A roster is a list or register of people or things.Roster is perhaps most commonly used to refer to the official list of players on a sports team, but it can refer to many other things, including lists of military personnel and lists of academic classes.Example: We have spots on our roster for 26 players.

Etymology

Origin of roster

1720–30; < Dutch rooster list, roster, literally, gridiron, in reference to the ruled paper used, equivalent to roost ( en ) to roast + -er -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

WME will still be involved with 160over90, as the two companies agreed to enter a strategic partnership, which would include leveraging WME’s talent roster for future media opportunities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

In January, India's civil aviation regulator imposed a fine of $2.45 million on IndiGo for poor roster planning that led to large-scale cancellations in December.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Bronny James has shown his value to the Lakers at an important time, confirming he isn’t on the roster solely to appease his father, LeBron James.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Chicago Bears chief executive Kevin Warren’s main construction project isn’t a 53-man roster.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The scarred pinewood table was covered with maps of the Wall and the lands beyond, a roster of rangers, and a letter from the Shadow Tower written in Ser Denys Mallister’s flowing hand.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.