assistant

noun

as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsi-stənt 

1

: a person who assists someone : helper

also : a person holding an assistantship

2

: a device or product that provides assistance

software assistants

personal digital assistant

see pda entry 1

assistant adjective

Synonyms

• aide
• apprentice
• deputy
• aid
• adjutant
• sidekick

Examples of assistant in a Sentence

an assistant to the college president

an assistant to the store manager

a wealthy executive who has a personal assistant

Recent Examples on the Web

Darrell Smith, assistant commissioner for school choice and parent empowerment, spoke about the rankings while presenting an update on Arkansas' Educational Freedom Accounts program to the state Board of Education. —Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025

Your smartphone's voice assistant struggles to understand your accent but works perfectly for others. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025

Manuel Orbegozo | Reuters And OpenAI in June showcased an intelligent voice assistant mode for ChatGPT that has fluid translation built in as one of many features. —Kif Leswing, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025

Every active member nation of the Organization of American States has spoken, Barbara Feinstein, the State Department’s deputy assistant Secretary of State for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, said Thursday at an OAS press conference in Washington. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English assistent, borrowed from Anglo-French assistant, assistent, noun derivative of assistant, assistent, adjective, "assisting, helpful," from present participle of assister "to help, aid" — more at assist entry 1

Note: In the case of both this word and assistance Modern English has chosen the French form with -a- in the suffix rather than Latin -e-.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assistant

• assistant professor
• personal digital assistant
• physician assistant
• physician's assistant
• sales assistant
• teaching assistant

Rhymes for assistant

• consistent
• existent
• insistent
• persistent
• resistant
• subsistent
• coexistent
• equidistant
• inconsistent
• nonexistent
• preexistent
• distant

Kids Definition

assistant

noun

as·​sis·​tant ə-ˈsis-tənt 

: a person who assists another : helper

assistant adjective