assistant

[ uh-sis-tuhnt ]
/ əˈsɪs tənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR assistant ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who assists or gives aid and support; helper.
a person who is subordinate to another in rank, function, etc.; one holding a secondary rank in an office or post: He was assistant to the office manager.
something that aids and supplements another.
a faculty member of a college or university who ranks below an instructor and whose responsibilities usually include grading papers, supervising laboratories, and assisting in teaching.

adjective

assisting; helpful.
serving in an immediately subordinate position; of secondary rank: an assistant coach.

Origin of assistant

1400–50; late Middle English assistent < Latin assistent- (stem of assistēns, present participle of assistere to assist); see -ent, -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM assistant

non·as·sis·tant, noun un·as·sist·ant, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH assistant

assistance assistants

Words nearby assistant

assisi, assist, assist-control ventilation, assistance, assistance dog, assistant, assistant professor, assistant referee, assistantship, assisted dying, assisted living

Words related to assistant

colleague, deputy, associate, aide, representative, companion, partner, attendant, apprentice, backup, friend, secretary, help, patron, follower, subordinate, supporter, accomplice, adjunct, abettor

Example sentences from the Web for assistant

British Dictionary definitions for assistant

assistant
/ (əˈsɪstənt) /

noun

  1. a person who assists, esp in a subordinate position
  2. (as modifier)assistant manager
See shop assistant

adjective

archaic helpful or useful as an aid