assistant

noun

as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsi-stənt How to pronounce assistant (audio)
Synonyms of assistant
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
assistant adjective

Synonyms of assistant

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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
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.
There’s a voice assistant for hands-free operation in 18 languages. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 Oct. 2026 Stokes recommends that users turn off the option that lets Meta train its AI on conversations, and periodically review what the assistant has saved about them. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026 Shares rose as much as 5% after hours as investors welcomed early adoption of its Muse AI assistant and plans from the company to start generating revenue from it. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 Calhoun graduated from Cincinnati in 2004 and was a student assistant under Huggins during the 2003-04 season. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for assistant

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of assistant was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing assistant

Rhymes for assistant

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Browse Nearby Words

assistance dog
assistant
assistant professor
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Cite this Entry

“Assistant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assistant. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

assistant

noun
as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsis-tənt How to pronounce assistant (audio)
: a person who assists another : helper
assistant adjective
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