staunch
Americanadjective
-
stauncher,
comparative
-
staunchest
superlative
-
firm or steadfast in principle, adherence, loyalty, etc., as a person.
a staunch Republican; a staunch friend.
-
characterized by firmness, steadfastness, or loyalty.
He delivered a staunch defense of the government.
- Synonyms:
- resolute
-
a staunch little hut in the woods.
-
impervious to water or other liquids; watertight.
a staunch vessel.
adjective
-
loyal, firm, and dependable
a staunch supporter
-
solid or substantial in construction
-
rare (of a ship, etc) watertight; seaworthy
verb
Synonym Usage
See steadfast.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of staunch
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English sta(u)nch, from Middle French estanche (feminine), estanc (masculine), derivative of estancher “to close, stop”; see stanch 1
Explanation
As an adjective, staunch means firm. You might want to go to that concert Friday night, but your parents' staunch opposition prevents you. Staunch is sometimes used as a verb to mean "to stop the flow of a liquid," but most usage books will tell you it's better to use the word stanch for the verb. Think of a soldier stopping and standing still, and you will understand the connection between the two meanings. The adjectival form should make you think of "stand," as in “stand firm,” or "take a stand." It comes from the French estanche meaning “watertight” and the Latin stanticare, which is probably from stans for “stand.”
Vocabulary lists containing staunch
Born a Crime
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Of Plymouth Plantation," Vocabulary from the historical account
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Promises, Promises
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
But Councilmember Traci Park, a staunch Flock supporter whose district stretches from Pacific Palisades to LAX, said license plate data helped solve at least one drive-by shooting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Tonga combined classy attacking play with staunch defence, mixed with a pinch of luck - while being cheered on by a ferociously partisan crowd in Perth - to cause a major upset.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Some advised him to head to Belarus, a staunch Russian ally, and then to Armenia, where he would be stuck in legal limbo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Along with its neighbours, Latvia and Lithuania, the country has ramped up defence investment and remains a staunch ally of Kyiv.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Buckthorn, perhaps the most sensible and staunch of them all.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Two years after the last ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi failed to make meaningful progress on key issues like fisheries and agriculture, member states face even stauncher challenges this time.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
However, the source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stauncher defense of Yovanovitch.
From Reuters ● Oct. 26, 2019
He conceived it as an alternative to 4chan, one with an even stauncher commitment to anything-goes content moderation.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 23, 2019
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. strongly backed Hadi, and the new president proved a stauncher ally to the U.S. than Saleh in the fight against al-Qaida’s branch in the country.
From Time ● Mar. 22, 2015
She was about 500 tons, and Kidd told us at Council that never was there a stronger or stauncher ship seen.
From The Book of Buried Treasure Being a True History of the Gold, Jewels, and Plate of Pirates, Galleons, etc., which are sought for to this day by Ralph Delahaye Paine
But he later became one of his staunchest backers.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“He became one of my staunchest supporters and schooled me on whom I could trust and whom I could never turn my back on.”
From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2026
Poland has long counted itself one of the U.S.’s staunchest allies since the end of the Cold War.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
Poland and Lithuania are among the staunchest supporters of Kyiv in the European Union, and both have recently supplied hundreds of generators to the war-torn country.
From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026
The Aristotelian wall was crumbling, thanks to the influence of the Muslims and the Hindus, and by the 1400s even the staunchest European supporters of Aristotelianism had their doubts.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
