human resources

American  

[hyoo-muhn ree-sawr-sis, ree-zawr-siz, yoo-muhn] / ˈhyu mən ˈri sɔr sɪs, ˈri zɔr sɪz, ˈyu mən /

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) people, especially the personnel employed by a given company, institution, or the like.

2. (used with a singular verb) human resources department.

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human resources British  

plural noun

1. 1. the workforce of an organization

   2. ( as modifier )

      human-resources management

      human-resources officer

2. 1. the office or department in an organization that interviews, appoints, or keeps records of employees

   2. ( as modifier )

      a human-resources consultancy

3. the contribution to an employing organization which its workforce could provide in effort, skills, knowledge, etc

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Etymology

Origin of human resources

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“We provide all the supporting systems to develop them, coach them and then give them different assignments,” said Annie Huang, senior vice president for human resources for P&G in North America.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Lufthansa human resources chief Michale Niggemann earlier criticised the walkout as "completely incomprehensible," particularly at a time of "geopolitical uncertainty with the war in Iran" that had thrown global air traffic into chaos.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

You could move to consulting, corporate training, human resources, educational technology and publishing, public relations or content development.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

In December, Doe filed a complaint with Soho House human resources, and she was assured that an investigation would be opened and “immediate corrective action” taken.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

On that visit, my dad introduced me to Mr. Stephen Mutandwa, the head of human resources.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda