personnel

noun

per·​son·​nel ˌpər-sə-ˈnel How to pronounce personnel (audio)
1
a
: a body of persons usually employed (as in a factory or organization)
b
personnel plural : persons
2
: a division of an organization concerned with personnel

Examples of personnel in a Sentence

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
Over 10,000 military personnel were stationed in the country. They've reduced the number of personnel working on the project. Talk to personnel if you have any questions about your health insurance. She's the director of personnel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The victims from the country’s north were killed in the Uromi area of Edo State after being stopped by local security personnel. Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, zero-touch provisioning eliminates the need for IT personnel to be physically present at edge locations, allowing organizations to remotely deploy, monitor, and manage the lifecycle of edge compute infrastructure. Chhandomay Mandal, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 The lawsuits come after President Trump signed executive orders this week, which attempted to restrict both firms' access to federal buildings, yank any active security clearances held by its personnel, and direct government employees not to meet with the firm or its members. Carrie Johnson, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025 More than 100 law enforcement personnel assisted the local police force, including the Idaho State Police, the FBI and the Latah County Sheriff’s Office. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for personnel

Word History

Etymology

French, from German Personale, Personal, from Medieval Latin personale, from Late Latin, neuter of personalis personal

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of personnel was in 1837

Cite this Entry

“Personnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personnel. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

personnel

noun
per·​son·​nel ˌpərs-ᵊn-ˈel How to pronounce personnel (audio)
: a group of persons employed (as in a public service, a factory, or an office)

More from Merriam-Webster on personnel

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