valet

1 of 2

noun

va·​let ˈva-lət How to pronounce valet (audio) ˈva-(ˌ)lā How to pronounce valet (audio)
va-ˈlā
1
a
: an employee (as of a hotel or a public facility) who performs personal services for customers
b
: a man's male servant who performs personal services (such as taking care of clothing)
2
: a device (such as a rack or tray) for holding clothing or personal effects

valet

2 of 2

verb

valeted; valeting; valets

transitive verb

: to serve as a valet

Examples of valet in a Sentence

Verb She runs her own valeting business.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
People started leaving to board their party buses or get to the valet stand while Trump was still speaking. Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 The mountain has always had a members program, albeit at a lower price point and with fewer offerings, including a members-only dining room, a ski valet, and valet parking. Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 Up to 200 parking spaces could be made exclusively available for the hotel, including for valet, according to the lease agreement, which the Miami Herald obtained through a public record request. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 That included a valet, Billy Lee, who was with him throughout the Revolutionary War, often faced the hazards of battle at his master’s side, and (with Washington’s blessing) married a free black woman. The Editors, National Review, 19 Feb. 2024 The pop star, 36, stepped out for dinner with Richards, 55, and Wade, 29, at Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles on Wednesday — and while waiting for the valet, Kesha teased the lyrics of an upcoming song. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 The mysterious man who walks with a cane takes the position of Robert Crawley's valet, a role that Thomas Barrow was also vying for. EW.com, 27 Jan. 2024 Guests looking to explore Los Angeles and the Hollywood area in 2024 can take advantage of The Godfrey’s central location with the Book Early & Save package which includes 20 percent off the best available rate plus $20 valet credit and flexible cancellation policy with no deposit required. Jennifer Chan, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2023 Titled Sam and Victor’s Day Off, the movie will follow the valet attendants who took Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari for a joyride. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
The artists and actual bohemians who founded the club would not be admitted now, but they might be allowed to valet-park the cars. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2023 Through a program approved by the Downtown Development Board, the city would cover the cost to valet your vehicle between 5:30 and 9 p.m. if the customer is eating at a participating restaurant. Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2023 At night, diners can pull up on Fairfax just north of Wilshire and valet their cars for dinner or drinks. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 8 Dec. 2021 Those dining at Vinsetta Garage currently have to valet park or find street parking. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 6 Jan. 2020 There are limited free parking spots on site, but guests can valet their car for the day for $30. Catie Wegman, sun-sentinel.com, 9 July 2019 Roughly 100 Carpenter agents and staff members volunteer to make the Golf Classic a reality, checking in golfers, valeting cars, and helping organize and set up for the day. Stacey McKenna, Indianapolis Star, 6 June 2019 The following morning, Hawk walked the streets of L.A. searching for Spencer’s car; it had been valeted at a restaurant instead of the hotel. Jacob Feldman, SI.com, 2 July 2018 In 2016, Volvo announced a trial concierge service that allows Bay Area S90 and XC90 owners to get their cars refueled, serviced, or valeted through a smartphone app. Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, 24 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'valet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vadlet, valet, varlet "male servant, groom, knight's attendant," borrowed from Anglo-French, "young man of noble birth serving a lord, boy, servant," going back to Gallo-Romance *vassellittus, diminutive of *vassellus, diminutive of early Medieval Latin vassus "serf, servant, vassal" — more at vassal

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of valet was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near valet

Cite this Entry

“Valet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valet. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

valet

noun
va·​let
ˈval-ā,
va-ˈlā,
ˈval-ət
1
: a male servant who takes care of a man's clothes and does personal services
2
: a hotel employee who does personal services for guests

More from Merriam-Webster on valet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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