usher

1 of 2

noun

ush·​er ˈə-shər 

1

a

: an officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, or chamber

b

: an officer who walks before a person of rank

c

: one who escorts persons to their seats (as in a theater)

2

archaic : an assistant teacher

usher

2 of 2

verb

ushered; ushering ˈə-sh(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to conduct to a place

2

: to precede as an usher, forerunner, or harbinger

3

: to cause to enter : introduce

a new theory ushered into the world

intransitive verb

: to serve as an usher

usher at a wedding

Synonyms

Verb

• steer
• guide
• lead
• accompany

Examples of usher in a Sentence

Verb

He ushered them to their seats.

A nurse ushered us into the hospital room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But over the last 15 years, he’s also helped usher more than 200 albums into the world via his independent Denver record label, Snappy Little Numbers, in genres ranging from folk-rock to metal, funk and soul. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025

Queen Camilla appeared to lose patience with Princess Kate and usher her away during a conversation with Melania Trump in a clip that went viral on social media. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025

Verb

Once again Hallmark is ushering us into cozy season with a lineup of brand-new Fall Into Love flicks, including one that has gone to the birds. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025

After the show, the team from Runway were ushered backstage to discuss upcoming cover stories with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. —Luke Leitch, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ussher, from Anglo-French ussier, usscher, from Vulgar Latin *ustiarius doorkeeper, from Latin ostium, ustium door, mouth of a river — more at ostium

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1588, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing usher

• usher in

Rhymes for usher

• crusher
• gusher

Kids Definition

usher

1 of 2 noun

ush·​er ˈəsh-ər 

: a person who leads other persons to seats (as in a theater or at a wedding)

usher

2 of 2 verb

ushered; ushering ˈəsh-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to lead to a place

2

: to cause to enter : introduce

usher in a new era