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staunch

adjective
\ ˈstȯnch How to pronounce staunch (audio) , ˈstänch\
variants: or less commonly \ ˈstȯnch How to pronounce stanch (audio) , ˈstänch , ˈstanch \

Definition of staunch

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : steadfast in loyalty or principle a staunch friend
2a : watertight, sound
b : strongly built : substantial

staunch

verb
\ ˈstȯnch How to pronounce staunch (audio) , ˈstänch\

variant of

transitive verb

1 : to check or stop the flowing of stanched her tears also : to stop the flow of blood from (a wound)
2a : to stop or check in its course trying to stanch the crime wave
b : to make watertight : stop up
3 archaic : allay, extinguish
Other Words from staunch Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Staunch and Stanch More Example Sentences Learn More about staunch

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Other Words from staunch

Adjective

staunchly adverb
staunchness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for staunch

Adjective

faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance. faithful implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted. faithful to her promise loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray. remained loyal to the czar constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows. constant friends staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it. a staunch defender of free speech steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction. steadfast in their support resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose. a resolute ally

Staunch and Stanch

Both stanch and staunch come from the Anglo-French estancher, meaning “to check or stop the flowing of.” Both have been in use for many hundreds of years. And most dictionaries will list them as having the exact same meaning. They are, in fact, variants of each other. But there's a catch: staunch is more commonly used as an adjective (it has several meanings in this role, including “steadfast in loyalty or principle” and "substantial"), and stanch is more commonly used as a verb (common meanings are "to check or stop the flowing of" and "to stop or check in its course"). Here are example of each in typical use:

a staunch supporter/advocate

staunch resistance/allegiance

to stanch the flow/bleeding

stanching the loss of jobs/revenue

Note that saying that something is more commonly used in some way does not necessarily mean that people who choose to use it in the less common way are wrong. There is a considerable body of evidence, from reputable sources, of staunch and stanch being used in their less common roles.

Some people will tell you that you should always keep these words apart, and if you’d like to do this you may find the following sentence of some assistance in helping you to remember the difference: "A staunch friend would help you stanch a bleeding thumb."

Alternatively, you may rely on the time-honored method of people-who-remember-things-poorly and use this limerick:

Tho’ neither stanch nor staunch must conform
To rigid semantical norm
Some editors will blanch,
When encountering stanch
If it’s used in adjective form

Examples of staunch in a Sentence

Adjective

 She is a staunch advocate of women's rights. He's a staunch believer in the value of regular exercise. I'm one of his staunchest supporters.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 Both nations are staunch allies of the United States. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The Ghosts of World War II," 5 Sep. 2019 Both nations are staunch allies of the United States. — Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, "Hanson: The ghosts of World War II," 5 Sep. 2019 Turner’s request is unlikely to get approval from Gov. Greg Abbott, a staunch gun rights advocate who has sole power to convene state lawmakers outside of their regular, biennial sessions. — Robert Downen, Houston Chronicle, "TURNER GUNS," 21 Aug. 2019 Just this past week, 2020 contender Sen. Bernie Sanders, a staunch advocate for health care rights, traveled to Canada to make a point just how startling the disparity in drug costs really is. — CBS News, "Trump administration to allow Americans to access lower-cost drugs from Canada," 31 July 2019 All chose butter except for Sen. Gordon Roseleip, R-Darlington, a staunch butter supporter who thought the margarine tasted better. — Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Margarine smugglers, a deadly milk war and more flavor Wisconsin's dairy history," 28 Aug. 2019 Treviño has been a staunch supporter of Rapelye, while Wenger has openly sought his resignation or termination. — Scott Huddleston, ExpressNews.com, "Castle Hills council drama far from over as power struggle continues in San Antonio suburb," 28 Aug. 2019 Even groups that in the past have been staunch supporters of the administration have been having second thoughts. — The Economist, "Hong Kong remains crucially important to mainland China," 8 Aug. 2019 But McCarthy, a staunch Trump ally, said the president's aversion to Omar is based on ideology, not race. — Author: Zeke Miller, Alan Fram, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump says not happy with backers’ ‘send her back’ chant," 18 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'staunch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of staunch

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

History and Etymology for staunch

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French estanche, feminine of estanc, from estancher to stanch — more at stanch entry 1

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