client

noun

cli·​ent ˈklī-ənt 

1

: one that is under the protection of another : dependent

a first-rate power, able to defend her political clients in central and eastern Europe

—W. W. Kulski

2

a

: a person who engages the professional advice or services of another

a lawyer's clients

a personal trainer … enjoyed the challenges of helping clients buff up their bodies.

—S. K. Parks

b

: customer

hotel clients

a restaurant's clients

c

: a person served by or utilizing the services of a social agency

a welfare client

d

: a computer in a network that uses the services (such as access to files or shared peripherals) provided by a server

also : software that allows a computer to function as a client in a network

3

: client state

clientage

ˈklī-ən-tij 

noun

cliental

klī-ˈen-tᵊl  ˈklī-ən- 

adjective

clientless

ˈklī-ənt-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• account
• customer
• guest
• patron
• punter [chiefly British]

Examples of client in a Sentence

The accountant is meeting with another client right now, but she'll be able to see you later this afternoon.

a law firm soliciting new clients through television advertising

Recent Examples on the Web

The company also said Mangione's mother, Kathleen Mangione, was not a client. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024

Their spouse, child, neighbor and client will be taking the mic. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Those clients are widely believed to be Club names Alphabet and Meta Platforms — and more recently, TikTok parent ByteDance. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024

The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was never a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. —arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French client, from Latin client-, cliens; perhaps akin to Latin clinare to lean — more at lean

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing client

• client state

Kids Definition

client

noun

cli·​ent ˈklī-ənt 

1

: a person who uses the professional advice or services of another

2

: customer sense 1