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

Tauck includes private or exclusive visits such as early access to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, a private Niagara Falls boat excursion and a Chicago architectural cruise led by expert docents. —Malika Bowling, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

Amigos de la Colina volunteer docents will offer tours of the park’s historic buildings. —Heather McRea, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026

Regardless of their final career path, every intern's first assignment is learning to be a docent, mastering the art of guiding visitors on a tour. —La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

Each house also has a House Captain, working with the volunteer docents in each room. —Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

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