Standard Lemma guide

headcount

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈhɛdˌkaʊnt/
  • CMU ARPABET: HH EH1 D K AW2 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of counting how many people are present in a group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Let's take a quick headcount, to make sure we're all here.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The number of people present in a group or employed by a company.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The company's headcount on January 1 was 15,203.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

More generally, a consideration of a company's appropriate staffing level based on some larger context. (Generally used adjectivally.)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Due to economic difficulties, the company will be making headcount adjustments.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

By extension, one slot in a workgroup, filled or to be filled by one person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I've convinced management to give us one more headcount, to take some work off the rest of us.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

number of people in a particular group

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: head count

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: count

History

Etymology

From head + count.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: luku — count of how many people are present
  • Finnish: luvun ottaminen — count of how many people are present
  • Central Kurdish: سەر ژمێری (ser jmêrî) — count of how many people are present
  • Finnish: henkilömäärä — number of people present
  • Finnish: pääluku — number of people present