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Synonyms

staffer

American  
[staf-er, stah-fer] / ˈstæf ər, ˈstɑ fər /

noun

  1. a member of a staff of employees or coworkers.

  2. Journalism. an editorial employee, especially a writer.

staffer British  
/ ˈstɑːfə /

noun

  1. informal a member of staff, esp, in journalism, of editorial staff

"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

Etymology

Origin of staffer

First recorded in 1680–90; staff 1 + -er 1

Vocabulary lists containing staffer

U.S. Government - Middle School and High School

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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.

That’s why Powell’s final turn at the lectern Wednesday is “so momentous,” said Julia Coronado, a former top Fed staffer and president of MacroPolicy Perspectives.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

“They don’t have the funding and they don’t have the expertise,” the staffer said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Jobs loomed so large over Apple that one staffer owned a car with the vanity plate “WWSJD”: What Would Steve Jobs Do?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

But, the staffer added, “the hosts would want the network to be one thing, then the managers wanted it to be another thing, and the showrunners they brought in wanted it to be something else.”

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

He had a small office in the statehouse and a part-time staffer in Chicago.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.