Roster
A group of people someone is simultaneously dating, flirting with, or considering as romantic options.
“He was acting exclusive, but she later learned he still had three other people on his roster.”
Roster is often used jokingly, critically, or boastfully. It compares dating options to a sports team lineup and may imply that one person is keeping several connections active at once.
Roster originally referred to a list of players on a team. Hip-hop, dating slang, and social media extended it to collections of romantic or sexual prospects.
dating roster
A group of current romantic prospects.
on the roster
Included among someone’s active dating options.
clear the roster
Stop talking to other prospects, often to focus on one person.
Is having a roster cheating?
Not necessarily if nobody has agreed to exclusivity, but secrecy or misleading promises can still be hurtful.
Is roster always negative?
No. Some people use it casually or humorously, while others use it to criticize avoidant dating behavior.
Why is it called a roster?
The metaphor treats romantic prospects like players listed on a sports team.