Personnel Meaning
/pɝ.səˈnɛl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounCollection of people in an organization, such as employees and office staff, members of the military, etc.
nounA member of an organization such as an army.
Sentence Examples
I will not be dictated to by some idiot in the personnel department.
Our personnel are very highly educated.
There is a severe shortage of skilled personnel.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The company hired new ____ to work in the customer service department.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company hired additional ____ to handle the increased workload during the busy season.
Word Origin & History
Unadapted borrowing from French personnel. Doublet of personal.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"People like to see such friendly relationship existing between the respective personnels of their Army, Navy and Marine Corps."
— 1924, U.S. Army Recruiting News, page 10:
"Newspapers in "capitalist" ownership, universities presided over by "reactionary" governing bodies, broadcasting systems owned by conservative governments have all been known to influence public opinion in the direction of socialism, because this was the conviction of the personnel."
— 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 421:
"In 2009, the Obama Administration released guidelines on enhanced interrogation written in 2003 and 2004 by the CIA Office of Medical Services. ^((OMS).1-3(appendix F)) The OMS guidelines, even in redacted form, and opinions from the US Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) Office of Legal Counsel show that CIA physicians, psychologists, and other health care personnel had important roles in enhanced interrogation."
— 2010 August 4, Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD; Stephen N. Xenakis, MD, “The Ethics of Enhanced Interrogations and Torture: A Reappraisal of the Argument”, in JAMA, volume 304, number 5, American Medical Association, →DOI, pages 569–570:
"An army personnel has been killed in action in a gunfight after security forces intercepted terrorists making an infiltration attempt near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said today."
— 2025 April 12, “Soldier Killed In Action As Army Stops Infiltration Attempt Along Line Of Control”, in India News, NDTV:
"An army personnel was seen to torture an injured protester."
— 2025 July 17, “Army, police shoot dead 4 protesters in Bangladesh”, in Daily Finland:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The company hired new ____ to work in the customer service department.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company hired additional ____ to handle the increased workload during the busy season.