aide-de-camp

noun

ˌād-di-ˈkamp How to pronounce aide-de-camp (audio)
-ˈkäⁿ
plural aides-de-camp ˌād(z)-di-ˈkamp How to pronounce aide-de-camp (audio)
-ˈkäⁿ
: a military aide
also : a civilian aide usually to an executive

Examples of aide-de-camp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Over the next decade and a half, Landon served as Qaboos’s aide-de-camp, helping the sultan defeat the Communist insurgency then build one of the Middle East’s strongest military forces. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2024 Unlike his predecessor, Xi has some knowledge of the PLA’s internal workings from his stint as aide-de-camp to a senior figure in the CCP body overseeing the military and from fellow CCP blue bloods who serve as senior officers. Christopher Johnson, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2023 Temple hoped to contribute to the cause directly: In 1779, he was slated to participate in a French raid of England, serving as the Marquis de Lafayette’s aide-de-camp, but the invasion was canceled due to sick crews and bad weather. Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024 The detective said in the indictment that Mr. Bolsonaro’s aide-de-camp, Mauro Cid, told investigators the former president asked him to insert the false data into the system for both himself and his daughter. Mauricio Savarese, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2024 The exhibition tells the stories of Washington’s companions in his war camps, including his enslaved valet, William Lee, who would dress him in the tent; three of his aides-de-camp; and the soldiers selected to guard the commander in chief. Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024 Royal Coronation Outfits Go on Display — See the Rare Items That May 'Never Be Seen in Public Again' According to Hello!, the cyphers signify Prince William's roles as an aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth and King Charles. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 5 Oct. 2023 With the advent of generative AI, that gauzy vision of software as aide-de-camp has suddenly come into focus. Steven Levy, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023 Watson’s father was Farragut’s faithful aide-de-camp. Longreads, 5 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aide-de-camp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French aide de camp, literally, camp assistant

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aide-de-camp was in 1670

Dictionary Entries Near aide-de-camp

Cite this Entry

“Aide-de-camp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aide-de-camp. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

aide-de-camp

noun
ˌād-di-ˈkamp,
-ˈkän
plural aides-de-camp
ˌād(z)-di-
: an aide to a high military or naval officer

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