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

Employees who work on contracts, human resources, IT, communications and other organizational and administrative jobs are essential to keeping the parks running, Wilcox said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Some suppliers to GE Aerospace, for instance, are still recovering from the pandemic, limiting their ability to attract workers, says Christian Meisner, GE Aerospace’s chief human resources officer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

And in human resources, a new agent will soon be able to not only answer questions about benefits and policies, but also take actions, like writing and submitting quarterly employee objectives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 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

“And how did you become the human resources manager?”

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