Meaning & use
support staff
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Meanings
noununcountable
The group of workers who help the main employees of an organization but do not do the main job themselves.
Grammar: Used as a group noun; it takes a plural verb in most styles: 'The support staff are very helpful.'
Patterns
- support staff at a school/hospital
- a member of the support staff
- support staff for someone
The hospital's support staff include cleaners, cooks and receptionists.
Teachers say they could not manage without the support staff.
The company is hiring support staff for its new office in Chicago.
noununcountable
The people who assist a leader, team or famous person behind the scenes.
Grammar: Often used for a team around one important person: 'the president's support staff.'
Patterns
- someone's support staff
- the support staff of a team
- work as support staff
The senator traveled with a small support staff.
A good coach relies on a support staff of doctors and trainers.
Her support staff handle emails, schedules and travel.
Common combinations
- a member of the support staff
- Every member of the support staff received safety training.
- hire support staff
- The school plans to hire more support staff next year.
- support staff at a hospital
- Support staff at the hospital went on strike over pay.
- administrative support staff
- Administrative support staff keep the records up to date.
- support staff shortages
- Support staff shortages are affecting patient care.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backup team
- More informal and often means people who step in during an emergency, not workers with regular support duties.
- auxiliary staff
- More formal and common in official or military contexts; it stresses that the workers are additional rather than central.
- assistants
- Refers to individual helpers, usually working for one person, while 'support staff' suggests a whole group.
Word family
- support verb
- to help or assist someone or something
- supportive adjective
- giving help and encouragement
- supporter noun
- a person who backs a team, idea or politician
Commonly confused: support staff or staff? support staff or stuff?
support staff vs staff
'Staff' alone means all the employees of a place, including the main workers; 'support staff' is only the helping group.
support staff vs stuff
'Stuff' means things or material and is uncountable; it sounds completely different in meaning and is a common spelling slip.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'support staff' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Support staff' is a group noun, so it takes a plural verb like 'are.' Option 0 wrongly treats the group as one person, option 2 needs 'a member of the support staff,' and option 3 uses 'a' with a group noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “support staff”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.