# roster

/ˈɹɑstɝ/ (US) · /ɹˈɒstɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/roster
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a list of members

noun · CEFR B2

a list of people who belong to a specific group, like a sports team, a military unit, or a class of students.

For teachers: a list of individuals or groups enrolled in a particular organization, such as a sports team's active players or a military muster roll.

- The coach added two new players to the team roster before the big game.
- The university registrar updated the class roster to include students who had recently transferred from the evening programme.

### 2. a work schedule

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a plan that shows which people are working at which times.

For teachers: a schedule or timetable specifying the shift times and assigned duties for each employee within a business.

- I need to check the work roster to see if I am working this Saturday.
- The hospital administrator revised the nursing roster to ensure adequate coverage during the holiday weekend.

### 3. a list of set elements

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a list of numbers or items written inside brackets to show what is in a set.

For teachers: a bracketed list that explicitly enumerates every element contained within a mathematical set.

- In math class, we wrote the set of even numbers as a roster.
- The student was asked to represent the set of prime numbers less than twenty using roster notation.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'roster notation'.

### 4. to put on a list

verb · CEFR B2

to put someone's name on an official list or schedule.

For teachers: to place a person's name on a roster or to assign an individual to a specific shift or duty list.

- The manager will roster you for the morning shift next week.
- The department head decided to roster the senior engineers for the weekend maintenance window to ensure the system remained stable.

## Examples

- The manager posted the new work roster on the office wall.
- The coach announced the final roster for the upcoming tournament, including three new players from the junior league.
- Maintaining a balanced nursing roster requires careful coordination to ensure that every shift has the appropriate mix of senior staff and trainees without exceeding overtime budgets.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.