Personnel

Definition

Personnel refers to the people employed in an organization or engaged in a particular activity. It also relates to matters concerning employees and their relationships within an organization.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˌpɜrsəˈnɛl/
• Respelling: PUR-suh-nel (with "PUR" as in "fur," "suh" as a softer "sir," and "nel" as in "sell")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˌpɜːsəˈnɛl/
• Respelling: PUR-suh-nel (similar to American English, with "PUR" as in "fur," "suh" as a softer "sir," and "nel" as in "sell")

In both dialects, "personnel" places the primary stress on the final syllable, "nel." The pronunciation remains consistent across both American and British English, focusing on the clear articulation of the last part of the word.

Etymology

Derived from the French word "personnel," meaning "personal," from Late Latin "personalis." It originally referred to the quality of being personal and came to mean "a body of persons" in the 19th century.

Derivatives

• Personnelman
• Personnel carrier
• Personnel department
• Personnel management
• Personnel file

Synonyms

• Staff
• Employees
• Workforce

Antonyms

• None

Usage

"Personnel" is commonly used in the context of human resources and business to refer to the people working within an establishment. It's also utilized in military settings to describe the soldiers and officers in a particular unit or command.

Related Terms

• HR (Human Resources)
• Manpower
• Crew
• Team
• Employee relations

Detailed Definition

Noun

• People employed in an organization or for a specific purpose; staff.
• Example: "The hospital has an excellent medical personnel."

• Matters concerning the employees in an organization, especially with regard to its policies or the administration of salaries, benefits, and hiring.
• Example: "The personnel department handles all recruitment efforts."