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Synonyms

assistant

American  
[uh-sis-tuhnt] / əˈsɪs tənt /

noun

  1. a person who assists or gives aid and support; helper.

  2. 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.

    Synonyms:
    adjutant, aide
  3. something that aids and supplements another.

  4. 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

  1. assisting; helpful.

  2. serving in an immediately subordinate position; of secondary rank.

    an assistant coach.

assistant British  
/ əˈsɪstənt /

noun

    1. a person who assists, esp in a subordinate position

    2. ( as modifier )

      assistant manager

  1. See shop assistant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. archaic helpful or useful as an aid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonassistant noun
  • unassistant adjective

Etymology

Origin of assistant

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English assistent, from Latin assistent-, stem of assistēns “standing by,” present participle of assistere “to stand by, help”; assist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A teacher, or class assistant, might be able to speculate.

From BBC

Early data show wages are increasing for AI-exposed jobs that “place a high value on a worker’s tacit knowledge and experience,” wrote J. Scott Davis, an assistant vice president in the Dallas Fed’s research department.

From MarketWatch

Anthropic also offers an AI assistant for consumers and makes money from paid subscriptions as well as contracts.

From Los Angeles Times

Prices for household furnishings, personal-care products, and electronic devices such as computers, tablets, and smart-home assistants all rose sharply in January.

From Barron's

Carr said she was a teaching assistant in the girls' class and the children were taught about "stranger danger".

From BBC