assistant

noun

as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsi-stənt 

1

: a person who assists someone : helper

also : a person holding an assistantship

2

: a device or product that provides assistance

software assistants

personal digital assistant

see pda entry 1

assistant adjective

Synonyms

• adjunct
• adjutant
• aid
• aide
• apprentice
• coadjutor
• deputy
• helper
• helpmate
• helpmeet
• lieutenant
• mate
• sidekick

Examples of assistant in a Sentence

an assistant to the college president

an assistant to the store manager

a wealthy executive who has a personal assistant

Recent Examples on the Web

What do tech leaders need to consider as the workforce evolves to maximize the gains but retain creativity, innovation and ethical governance? From Assistant To Architect AI is no longer just a coding assistant. —Amy Gu, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Fortunes have been made surveying drivers about vehicle features that don't work, but there's no data on how other drivers react to lippy virtual assistants. —Mark Phelan, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025

Gates reportedly hired former Duquesne assistant cpach Steve Wright on Monday, according to Field of 68 co-founder Jeff Goodman. —Andy Theobald, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2025

The standalone app comes as Meta looks to boost the AI assistant’s usage, apart from being available within the company’s family of platforms - WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. —Reuters, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English assistent, borrowed from Anglo-French assistant, assistent, noun derivative of assistant, assistent, adjective, "assisting, helpful," from present participle of assister "to help, aid" — more at assist entry 1

Note: In the case of both this word and assistance Modern English has chosen the French form with -a- in the suffix rather than Latin -e-.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assistant

• assistant professor
• personal digital assistant
• physician assistant
• physician's assistant
• sales assistant
• teaching assistant

Rhymes for assistant

• consistent
• existent
• insistent
• persistent
• resistant
• subsistent
• coexistent
• equidistant
• inconsistent
• nonexistent
• preexistent
• distant

Kids Definition

assistant

noun

as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsis-tənt 

: a person who assists another : helper

assistant adjective