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
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"Of Plymouth Plantation," Vocabulary from the historical account
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Promises, Promises
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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:
He issued a no-bid contract to a company that botched the renovation, according to staunch Trump loyalist Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, a staunch proponent of open-weight tools, has been among the executives discussing AI oversight with the White House in recent weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Following the meetings, all three men attended the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who up until his death on July 11 was a staunch supporter of both Ukraine and Israel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Only six countries in this year's survey still favour the US more, most of which are staunch US allies: Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan and Israel.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
It was a time of quiet departures, of the sifting away of all that was not staunch against winter.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Two years after the WTO's last ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi failed to make meaningful progress on key issues like fisheries and agriculture, member states face even stauncher challenges.
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
Fully half of the group exhibited unmistakable signs of alarm; half a dozen edged toward home and were summoned back by the stauncher members.
From The Crimson Sweater by Barbour, Ralph Henry
“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
In a high-profile summit Tuesday, the leaders of Japan and South Korea—two of the U.S.’s staunchest allies—put on a display of unity in the face of rising economic, technological and military pressures from China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Marjorie Taylor Greene came into Congress as one of Donald Trump's staunchest defenders.
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
To win over the staunchest sceptics, Tuesday's talks will cover a range of "flexibilities" for member states, including letting countries count carbon credits purchased to finance projects outside Europe.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025
“Well, your father’s on the board of directors and Henry’s one of the staunchest members.”
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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.
