English

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from French personnel. Doublet of personal.

Pronunciation

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  • (US) IPA(key): /pɝ.səˈnɛl/, /pɝsˈnɛl/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /pɜː.səˈnɛl/, /pɜːsˈnɛl/
  • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /pɵː.sɘˈnɛl/, /pɵːsˈnɛl/, /-el/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛl

Noun

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personnel (countable and uncountable, plural personnels)

  1. Collection of people in an organization, such as employees and office staff, members of the military, etc.
    • 1924, U.S. Army Recruiting News, page 10:
      People like to see such friendly relationship existing between the respective personnels of their Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
    • 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[1], volume 304, number 5, American Medical Association, →DOI, pages 569–570:
      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.
  2. (uncountable) A human resources department.
    I've just had a letter from personnel.

Usage notes

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Derived terms

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Translations

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Late Latin persōnālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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personnel (feminine personnelle, masculine plural personnels, feminine plural personnelles)

  1. (relational) personal
    Synonym: (informal) perso

Derived terms

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Noun

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personnel m (plural personnels)

  1. staff, members of staff, personnel

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Dutch: personeel
    • Afrikaans: personeel
    • Indonesian: personel
  • English: personnel
  • Polish: personel
  • Turkish: personel

Further reading

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