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.
Customer service teams are deploying AI assistants to support thousands of customer interactions every day. — Prajkta Waditwar, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Simplicity’s goal is not to build just another general-purpose assistant, but dedicated solutions that understand niche workflows and execute on behalf of professionals. — Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026 Three others have reached plea deals and agreed to testify for the government, including Banks’ former personal assistant Kavon Grant, who has since turned on his boss. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Inside Agents and Infra, Microsoft will be able to showcase momentum from a series of AI assistants, including the Microsoft 365 Copilot for commercial customers and the GitHub Copilot coding agent. — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 2 Sep. 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 4 Sep. 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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