Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

rostering

/ˈrɒstərɪŋ/
gerund/noun★Intermediate💡 assigning staff to shifts
💼Business
formal

The process of creating or managing a schedule assigning employees to specific shifts or tasks.

Efficient rostering ensures adequate staffing during peak hours.

Good scheduling ensures enough workers are available when demand is highest.

The HR department handles rostering for all departments.

Human Resources manages the scheduling of employees across different teams.

💡

Commonly used in healthcare, hospitality, retail, and manufacturing sectors where shift work is standard.

Collocations

rostering systemsoftware or method used to create employee schedulesrostering softwaredigital tool for managing staff schedulesshift rosteringscheduling employees for specific time periods

Synonyms

schedulingstaffingshift planningworkforce allocation

Antonyms

idlenessunplanned shifts

💡Pro Tip

Common Mistake

Don't confuse 'rostering' with 'roasting'. While both relate to schedules, 'rostering' specifically involves assigning shifts, not criticizing someone.

⚡Gold Rule

When to Use

Use 'rostering' when discussing the systematic assignment of employees to specific time slots or tasks, especially in industries with shift work.

📖Word Origin

From 'roster' (a list of names) + '-ing' (suffix forming gerunds). 'Roster' itself derives from Dutch 'rooster' meaning 'grid' or 'list', originally referring to a writing tablet with a grid pattern.

📝Usage Notes

Primarily used in workplace contexts where employees work in shifts. The verb form 'to roster' is more common in British English (e.g., 'We need to roster extra staff for the weekend'), while American English often uses 'to schedule' instead.

Word Breakdown

roster
a list of names, typically for scheduling purposes
root
+
-ing
forms a gerund or present participle
suffix
English Dictionary

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Recent Lookups

The most recent words being looked up. Stay up to date with what language learners are exploring.