assistant
Other forms: assistants
An assistant is someone that is there to help. If you work 80 hours a week, you might want to think about hiring a personal assistant to pick up your dry cleaning.
The word assistant typically refers to someone who offers assistance. However, in certain professional situations, assistant can mean on a level below, as in "the Assistant District Attorney reports to the District Attorney." Not surprisingly, an assistant provides assistance. However, unlike a slave or an indentured servant, an assistant is paid for his work.
Definitions of assistant
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a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose“my invaluable assistant”
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types:
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coadjutor
an assistant to a bishop
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accomplice, confederate
a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan)
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aide, auxiliary
someone who acts as an assistant
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attendant, attender, tender
someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
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bat boy
(baseball) a boy who takes care of bats and other baseball equipment
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dental assistant
an assistant to a dentist
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deputy, lieutenant
an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent
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actor's assistant, dresser
a wardrobe assistant for an actor
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event planner
someone who plans social events as a profession (usually for government or corporate officials)
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facilitator
someone who makes progress easier
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flower girl
a young girl who carries flowers in a (wedding) procession
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girl Friday
a female assistant who has a range of duties
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enforcer, hatchet man
one whose job it is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior
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cat's-paw, instrument, pawn
a person used by another to gain an end
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birthing coach, doula, labor coach, monitrice
an assistant (often the father of the soon-to-be-born child) who provides support for a woman in labor by encouraging her to use techniques learned in childbirth-preparation classes
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underboss
an assistant or second-in-command to a chief (especially in a crime syndicate)
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fashion model, manakin, manikin, mannequin, mannikin, model
a woman who wears clothes to display fashions
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model, poser
a person who poses for a photographer or painter or sculptor
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paraprofessional
a trained worker who is not a member of a profession but who assists a professional
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powder monkey
someone who carries explosives (as from the magazine to the guns on board a warship)
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prompter, theater prompter
someone who assists a performer by providing the next words of a forgotten speech
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chief assistant, man Friday, right-hand man
the most helpful assistant
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secretarial assistant, secretary
an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization
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sidesman
(Church of England) an assistant to the churchwarden; collects offerings of money in the church
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foot soldier, subordinate, subsidiary, underling
an assistant subject to the authority or control of another
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water boy, waterer
an assistant who supplies drinking water
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whipper-in
huntsman's assistant in managing the hounds
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companion
one paid to accompany or assist or live with another
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artist's model, sitter
a person who poses for a painter or sculptor
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associate
a person with subordinate membership in a society, institution, or commercial enterprise
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baggageman
an attendant who takes care of baggage
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batman
an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer
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bellboy, bellhop, bellman
someone employed to carry luggage and run errands in a hotel
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bottom dog
a person of low status
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bridesmaid, maid of honor
an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding
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caddie, golf caddie
an attendant who carries the golf clubs for a player
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checker
an attendant who checks coats or baggage
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cog
a subordinate who performs an important but routine function
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courtier
an attendant at the court of a sovereign
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cupbearer
the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine
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decoy, steerer
a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot)
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dressmaker's model
someone who models dresses
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equerry
a personal attendant of the British royal family
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escort
an attendant who is employed to accompany someone
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esquire
(Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood
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executive secretary
a secretary having administrative duties and responsibilities
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famulus
a close attendant (as to a scholar)
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gillie
a young male attendant on a Scottish Highlander chief
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groomsman
a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding
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lifeguard, lifesaver
an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents
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linkboy, linkman
(formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets
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loader
an attendant who loads guns for someone shooting game
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man
a male subordinate
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matron of honor
a married woman serving as the attendant to the bride at a wedding
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nurse's aide, nursing aide
someone who assists a nurse in tasks that require little formal training
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hospital attendant, orderly
a male hospital attendant who has general duties that do not involve the medical treatment of patients
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orderly
a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
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page, varlet
in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as the first stage in training for knighthood
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page
a youthful attendant at official functions or ceremonies such as legislative functions and weddings
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legal assistant, paralegal
a person with specialized training who assists lawyers
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paramedic, paramedical
a person trained to assist medical professionals and to give emergency medical treatment
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photographer's model
a model who poses for photographers
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racker
an attendant who puts pool or billiard balls into a rack
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receptionist
a secretary whose main duty is to answer the telephone and receive visitors
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rocker
an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle
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second
the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match
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second banana, second fiddle
someone who serves in a subordinate capacity or plays a secondary role
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second-in-command
someone who relieves a commander
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servitor
someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else
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social secretary
a personal secretary who handles your social correspondence and appointments
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squire
a young nobleman attendant on a knight
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gallant, squire
a man who attends or escorts a woman
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amanuensis, shorthand typist, stenographer
someone skilled in the transcription of speech (especially dictation)
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flight attendant, steward
an attendant on an airplane
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litter-bearer, stretcher-bearer
one who helps carry a stretcher
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supermodel
a fashion model who has attained the status of a celebrity
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trainbearer
one who holds up the train of a gown or robe on a ceremonial occasion
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vicar-general
(Roman Catholic Church) an administrative deputy who assists a bishop
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vice-regent
a regent's deputy
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arouser, rouser, waker
someone who rouses others from sleep
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valet
someone employed to park and retrieve cars
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type of:
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worker
a person who works at a specific occupation
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of or relating to a person who is subordinate to another
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synonyms:
adjunct
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low-level, subordinate
lower in rank or importance
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low-level, subordinate
Pronunciation
US
/əˈsɪstənt/
UK
/əˈsɪstənt/
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