personnel
gb/pˌɚsənˈɛl/ us/pˌɚsənˈɛl/
B1
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
People working for an organization
The people who work for a company or group.
Usage pattern:
[organization]'s personnel
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'personnel' with 'personal'. 'Personnel' means staff, while 'personal' means private or relating to a person.
Synonyms
staff (More common in everyday English; can refer to all workers collectively.)
|
employees (Refers specifically to people who are formally employed, often in legal or HR contexts.)
Antonyms
outsiders (Refers to people not part of the organization.)
Collocations
personnel department
|military personnel
|personnel manager
|personnel file
|personnel changes
Themes
business
|workplace
|management
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company has over 200 personnel working across three offices.
- Military personnel must follow strict rules at all times.
- All hospital personnel are required to attend the safety training.
- The new policy applies to both full-time and part-time personnel.
Learner examples
- The school has 50 personnel.
- Police personnel helped at the event.
- All personnel must wear a badge.
- The personnel are friendly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
personnel
IPA
GB/pˌɚsənˈɛl/
US/pˌɚsənˈɛl/
Syllables & stress
per - son - nel (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (son)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: personnel
- Plural: personnel
Word family
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
impersonal
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
Expressions
military personnel
1/mˈɪlɪtˌɛɹi pˌɚsənˈɛl/
fixed phrase
Members of the armed forces
People who work in the army, navy, air force, or other military groups.
Examples
- Military personnel were deployed to help after the flood.
- The base houses over 5,000 military personnel.
personnel changes
1/pˌɚsənˈɛl t͡ʃˈeɪnd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
Changes in staff members
When some workers leave and new ones are hired in a company or group.
Examples
- There have been several personnel changes in the last month.
- The newspaper reported major personnel changes at the top level of management.
personnel department
1/pˌɚsənˈɛl dɪpˈɑɹtmənt/
fixed phrase
HR division of a company
The part of a company that manages hiring, training, and employee records.
Examples
- You should contact the personnel department about your contract.
- The personnel department is responsible for new employee orientation.
personnel file
1/pˌɚsənˈɛl fˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
Official employee record
A folder with information about a worker's history and performance at a job.
Examples
- The manager reviewed her personnel file before the meeting.
- Your personnel file contains your job application and performance reviews.