anti-personnel
|an-ti-per-son-nel|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti pɚˈsɛn.əl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti pəˈsɛn.əl/
against people (to harm)
Etymology
'anti-personnel' originates from the English compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and the noun 'personnel' (from French 'personnel', from 'personne', ultimately from Latin 'persona' meaning 'person' or 'mask').
'personnel' changed from French 'personnel' (meaning 'people/staff'), which ultimately traces to Latin 'persona'; the modern English compound 'anti-personnel' was formed in the 20th century in military usage by combining 'anti-' + 'personnel'.
Initially a literal combination meaning 'against personnel', it evolved into a technical military term meaning 'designed to injure or kill people' (e.g., anti-personnel mines).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a weapon or device intended to kill or injure people (often used in combination, as in 'anti-personnel mine').
The patrol discovered several anti-personnel devices in the clearing.
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Adjective 1
designed to kill, injure, or incapacitate people rather than equipment or structures (used especially of weapons or devices).
Many countries have banned anti-personnel mines.
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Last updated: 2025/11/13 07:09