personnel

[ pur-suh-nel ]

/ ˌpɜr səˈnɛl /

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See synonyms for personnel on Thesaurus.com

noun

a body of persons employed in an organization or place of work.

(used with a plural verb) persons: All personnel are being given the day off.

personnel department.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of personnel

1825–35; <French, noun use of personnel (adj.) personal <Late Latin persōnāle, neuter of persōnālis; replacing personal (noun), Anglicized form of French personnel; compare German Personal, variant of Personale,Italian personale.See matériel

usage note for personnel

2. Some usage guides object to the use of personnel as a plural. However, this use is well established and standard in all varieties of speech and writing. The use of personnel with a preceding number is largely restricted to business and government communications: Six personnel were transferred.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH personnel

personal, personnel

Words nearby personnel

personhood, personification, personified, personify, personned, personnel, personnel agency, personnel department, person of color, person of colour, person-to-person

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use personnel in a sentence

Other measures announced Thursday by the league include the recommendation that teams provide all team personnel with KN95 masks.
NHL adds game-day rapid testing to coronavirus protocols|Samantha Pell|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Yet straddling the line between public transparency and personnel sensitivity at a place like the New York Times is one of the toughest tasks in media.
New York Times bails on intent-neutral standard when discussing epithets|Erik Wemple|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
At the end of the season, he balked at Snyder’s plans to take away his authority over trades and personnel decisions and was fired.
Marty Schottenheimer, one of the NFL’s winningest coaches, dies at 77|Matt Schudel|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Hoboken’s contract says records of police discipline will be expunged and removed from an officer’s personnel files after five years.
How the Police Bank Millions Through Their Union Contracts|by Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press, and Agnes Chang, Jeff Kao and Agnel Philip, ProPublica|February 8, 2021|ProPublica

Janet Woodcock, the FDA’s acting commissioner, pledged to pursue streamlined processes to get updated products to health-care personnel, saying the FDA would not “create obstacles” to authorizing tools that could be useful.
Johnson & Johnson seeks emergency FDA authorization for single-shot coronavirus vaccine|Carolyn Y. Johnson, Laurie McGinley|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Not actual CIA agents, but U.S. government personnel who have worked very closely with the CIA, and who are fans of the show.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To the Republic of Korea and United States military personnel stationed in the JSA, it is known as Propaganda Village.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Neither individual would go on the record due to the sensitivity of discussing personnel matters.
Vaclav Klaus, Libertarian Hero, Has His Wings Clipped by Cato Institute|James Kirchick|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Add to that the per diems paid for the 105 military commission personnel who attend the proceedings, which cost more than $16,000.
Prosecutors Have No Idea When 9/11 Mastermind’s Trial Will Start|Tim Mak|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He consistently met the requirements of his job, according to personnel records.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The state and local group in Virginia is nearly equally divided between school and non-school personnel.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
However, when civilian government and military personnel are combined, government employment surpasses manufacturing employment.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
The number of military personnel in the state is slightly more than twice the number of federal civilian employees.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
During the war both the printing and publishing businesses suffered from shortage of personnel, of metal, and of paper.
A History of the Cambridge University Press|S. C. Roberts
As to personnel, I ask for young and energetic commanders, Byng and Rawlinson, and am turned down.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume 2|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for personnel

personnel

/ (ˌpɜːsəˈnɛl) /

noun

the people employed in an organization or for a service or undertakingCompare materiel

Also called: human resources the office or department that interviews, appoints, or keeps records of employees
(as modifier)a personnel officer

Word Origin for personnel

C19: from French, ultimately from Late Latin persōnālis personal (adj); see person

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

personnel

Origin of personnel

usage note for personnel

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH personnel

Words nearby personnel

Words related to personnel

How to use personnel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for personnel

Word Origin for personnel