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

Golden is a lawyer who has served as the first assistant in the Jefferson County Attorney's Office and as Louisville's Chief of Public Services. —Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024

The two companies joined forces in 2019 to create a pair of glasses powered by Meta’s AI assistant and with a tiny camera on the rim. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Nov. 2024

Dakota worked on the opposite side of the camera as an art production assistant on the 2009 supernatural thriller Lost Soul. —Rachel Flynn, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

He was hired as a defensive assistant in 2015 before he was named defensive coordinator in November of that year, serving in that role through 2021. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024

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

Kids Definition

assistant

noun

as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsis-tənt 

: a person who assists another : helper

assistant adjective