human resources

plural noun

: personnel sense 1a

hiring more human resources

: personnel sense 2

Human resources will contact you about your interview.

the company's human resources department

Examples of human resources in a Sentence

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.

To find out if the rule change may affect your 401(k), ask your plan administrator, often someone in your human resources department, whether the company plans to offer new investment options. — Teddy Amenabar, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026 Many organizations, including those much bigger and much smaller than Meta, are exploring ways that AI could help with company goals, such as by saving employees time, driving revenue, or reducing costs, including, in some cases, human resources. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 Pivot Toward Relevance Inclusion and allyship cannot exist as isolated human resources initiatives. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 The group also includes the head of human resources for Electric Boat, which has in recent years been hiring thousands of workers in southeastern Connecticut as the shipyard builds the latest class of submarines. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for human resources

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of human resources was in 1915

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

human remains

human resources

human right

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Human resources.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20resources. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

human resources

plural noun

Examples of human resources in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes