butler

noun

but·​ler ˈbət-lər How to pronounce butler (audio)
1
: a manservant having charge of the wines and liquors
2
: the chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services

Examples of butler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web All villas come with 24-hour butler service, naturally. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024 And beyond the presidential suite, some hotels offer secluded villas on their grounds—from the Pool Cottage House at Mallorca's Grand Hotel Son Net, complete with their own pool and garden, to the five-bedroom Villa de France with dedicated butler service at the Cheval Blanc St-Barth. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024 As for anything else your heart might desire, rest assured the 24-hour butler service has every need covered. Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 Showcasing the latest floor plans, the villas within Canyon Creek Forest are designed to captivate with open concepts, walls of windows inviting natural light, soaring ceiling heights, and modern kitchen ideas that include butler’s pantries, decorator features, and vibrant colors. Prime Development, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024 The kitchen has an island with a quartz countertop and seating, and there is a walk-in butler’s pantry with shelving. Hope Hodge Seck, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Spanning 500 acres on half a mile of beach, the resort will include dedicated butler service for every guest, four dining venues, two pools, a fitness center, and spa. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024 Each of these unique villas offers a private fireplace and hot tub or pool along with a dedicated butler. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 The home also has a butler’s kitchen, a great room, a theater, an office, a game room, a kids’ study, a pickleball court and an outside fireplace. The Arizona Republic, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'butler.' 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

Middle English buteler, from Anglo-French butiller, from Old French botele bottle — more at bottle

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of butler was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near butler

Cite this Entry

“Butler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butler. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

butler

noun
but·​ler ˈbət-lər How to pronounce butler (audio)
: a chief male household servant
Etymology

Middle English buteler "household servant in charge of wines," from early French butiller (same meaning), from botele "bottle," derived from Latin buttis "cask"

Biographical Definition

Butler 1 of 5

biographical name (1)

But·​ler ˈbət-lər How to pronounce Butler (audio)
Benjamin Franklin 1818–1893 American general and politician

Butler

2 of 5

biographical name (2)

Joseph 1692–1752 English theologian

Butler

3 of 5

biographical name (3)

Nicholas Murray 1862–1947 American educator; president Columbia University (1901–45)

Butler

4 of 5

biographical name (4)

Samuel 1612–1680 English satirical poet

Butler

5 of 5

biographical name (5)

Samuel 1835–1902 English novelist and satirist
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!