docent

noun

do·​cent ˈdō-sᵊnt  dō(t)-ˈsent 

1

: a college or university teacher or lecturer

2

: a person who leads guided tours especially through a museum or art gallery

Did you know?

The title of docent is used in many countries for what Americans would call an associate professor—that is, a college or university teacher who has been given tenure but hasn't yet achieved the rank of full professor. But in the U.S. a docent is a guide who works at a museum, a historical site, or even a zoo or a park. Docents are usually volunteers, and their services are often free of charge.

Examples of docent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With Danny held hostage, Maria’s life begins to flourish and that star pupil, Pauline, inches ever-closer to her favorite docent as sympathies slip away and oscillate between characters, the film making quick work of manipulating mounting emotions. —Holly Jones, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025

It was still closed to the public, so we were accompanied by a docent, Mary Calvaresi, from California State Parks. —Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

Museum docents also reach out to more than 80,000 school children annually through school tours of the museum. —Amy Bentley, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025

My journey began with a silent docent in a red dress who led me down a hallway. —Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

obsolete German (now Dozent), from Latin docent-, docens, present participle of docēre — see docile

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1