- a variation of stanch.
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:
She is a staunch defender of the Scandinavian country's famed welfare state, with an attitude that resonates with many Swedes, regularly topping opinion polls on the country's most trusted politicians.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Mistral, for its part, has been a staunch defender of open-weight models, saying they give users the flexibility to tailor them to their needs while protecting their data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Doing so may staunch the sharp selloff in the $31.5 trillion Treasury market that has pushed long-end yields to their highest levels in decades.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
They could also have come from "staunch supporters of the government".
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Never for long had hope died in his staunch heart, and always until now he had taken some thought for their return.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Two years after the WTO's last ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi failed to make meaningful progress on key issues like fisheries and agriculture, the organisation's 166 members will be facing even stauncher challenges in Yaounde.
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 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
Mr. M'Kinlay was delighted; he had not been without certain misgivings, as he journeyed along over the Alps, that he might have shown himself a stronger, stauncher friend to Vyner in his hour of adversity.
From Luttrell Of Arran Complete by Charles James Lever
When negotiations grew difficult, he could become inflexible, leaving even the bill’s staunchest allies in the Senate feeling slighted, people involved in the process said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
But he later became one of his staunchest backers.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Germany has long been among Israel's staunchest allies, something Berlin has grounded in the country's responsibility for the Holocaust.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
Laura Ingraham, one of Trump’s staunchest on-air defenders, wondered aloud on her Fox show on Monday.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026
And yet Howland Reed had been one of Father's staunchest companions during the war for King Robert's crown, before Bran was bom.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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