henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən 
plural henchmen
1
a
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c
: a member of a gang
2
obsolete
: a squire or page to a person of high rank
Did you know?
The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."
Examples of henchman in a Sentence
a gangster surrounded by his henchmen
Recent Examples on the Web
Before her family arrives, Bree tries to shoot Grady, but once Grady’s henchman captures Diller, she’s forced to make a choice: drop the gun or watch her son die.
—
Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
In the process, Eve sees a scar on a dead henchman’s wrist that reminds her of one of her father’s killers, and—dumping the limb, severed, on the Director’s desk—demands information.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 June 2025
Naomi is alongside Ann Dowd’s Aunt Lydia as two henchmen throw Janine to the ground like a pile of trash.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
In the process, Eve sees a scar on a dead henchman’s wrist that reminds her of one of her father’s killers, and—dumping the limb, severed, on the Director’s desk—demands information.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 June 2025
Naomi is alongside Ann Dowd’s Aunt Lydia as two henchmen throw Janine to the ground like a pile of trash.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən
1
: a trusted follower
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang
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