roster

noun

ros·​ter ˈrä-stər How to pronounce roster (audio)
also ˈrȯ-
or ˈrō-
Synonyms of roster
1
a
: a roll or list of personnel
b
: such a list giving the order in which a duty is to be performed
a duty roster
c
: the persons listed on a roster
2
: an itemized list

Synonyms of roster

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of roster in a Sentence

His name has been added to the team roster. The team has a roster of 40 players.
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.
With Rhea Ripley sidelined by injury, this was the first time WWE has crowned an interim champion on the main roster, and Green climbed over Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton and Lash Legend to get there. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The Braves will have to make a roster spot available for Thomas ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Marlins at Truist Park. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Miami’s roster Saturday was depleted as German Berterame is out on concussion protocol after a hard hit against Montreal that resulted in him exiting the field in an ambulance. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026 If anything, how this specific deal came together is an example of why this method of roster building has worked so well for the Dodgers. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roster

Word History

Etymology

Dutch rooster, literally, gridiron; from the parallel lines

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of roster was in 1727

Rhymes for roster

See All Rhymes for roster

Browse Nearby Words

rostellum
roster
Rostock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roster. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

roster

noun
ros·​ter ˈräs-tər How to pronounce roster (audio)
: a list usually of people belonging to some group

More from Merriam-Webster on roster

Nglish: Translation of roster for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of colloquial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All