henchman

noun

hench·​man ˈhench-mən How to pronounce henchman (audio)
plural henchmen
1
a
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c
: a member of a gang
2
obsolete : a squire or page to a person of high rank

Did you know?

The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."

Examples of henchman in a Sentence

a gangster surrounded by his henchmen
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Also joining the cast are Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops and Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man — three of Skeletor's henchmen. Lawrence Yee, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024 The series also stars Timothy Dalton as an evil land baron and Jerome Flynn as his henchman, along with Darren Mann, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves, Michelle Randolph, Sebastian Roché. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Dec. 2024 That led Desmond and a few henchmen to the underground markets, unaware that Mikaela (with Keiran’s help) had rigged the place to blow. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 15 Dec. 2024 Oz heads back to his pad to find Sofia and some henchmen waiting for him. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for henchman 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English henshman, hengestman groom, from hengest stallion (from Old English) + man; akin to Old High German hengist gelding

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of henchman was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

henchman

noun
hench·​man ˈhench-mən How to pronounce henchman (audio)
1
: a trusted follower
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang

More from Merriam-Webster on henchman

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