First Known Use: 1837
Dictionary
personnel
noun per·son·nel \ˌpər-sə-ˈnel\
: the people who work for a particular company or organization
: a department within a company or organization that deals with the people who work for it
Full Definition of PERSONNEL
1
2
: a division of an organization concerned with personnel
See personnel defined for English-language learners
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Examples of PERSONNEL
- Women are also underrepresented as police force members, composing less than 13 percent of sworn personnel, despite the proven benefits of having more women in blue, such as less use of excessive force and improved response to domestic violence. —Cortney Rock, Ms., Winter 2007
- When the staff returned to the Oval Office, Bush's mood was upbeat, according to a White House aide who was present (and who, like all White House personnel quoted in this story, follows a policy of not being quoted by name). —Richard Wolffe et al., Newsweek, 19 June 2006
- The doorway that sheltered them from the rain leads to government offices now, but in Franco's time the building was a political prison. Its personnel and their diligent labours earned the place a charming nom de guerre—the House of Screams. —A. L. Kennedy, On Bullfighting, 1999
- The only firm rule is: Armored personnel carriers have the right of way. —P. J. O'Rourke, Holidays in Hell, 1988
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Origin of PERSONNEL
French, from German Personale, Personal, from Medieval Latin personale, from Late Latin, neuter of personalis personal
Other Business Terms
Rhymes with PERSONNEL
APL, Appenzell, aquarelle, asphodel, Azazel, bagatelle, barbicel, béchamel, brocatelle, Camberwell, caramel, caravel, carousel, cascabel, chanterelle, chaparral, Charles Martel, citadel, clientele, cockleshell, Cozumel, decibel, demoiselle, diving bell, fare-thee-well, fontanel, immortelle, Jezebel, killer cell, kiss-and-tell, lenticel, mangonel, muscatel, ne'er-do-well, Neuchâtel, Neufchâtel, New Rochelle, nonpareil, organelle, oversell, parallel, pedicel, pennoncel, petronel, Philomel, pimpernel, rebel yell, red blood cell, Sanctus bell, San Rafael, São Miguel, show-and-tell, sickle cell, silver bell, solar cell, tortoiseshell, undersell, villanelle, white blood cell, William Tell, zinfandel
PERSONNEL Defined for Kids
personnel
noun per·son·nel \ˌpər-sə-ˈnel\
Definition of PERSONNEL for Kids
: a group of people employed in a business or an organization
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