henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən 
plural henchmen
1
a
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c
: a member of a gang
2
obsolete
: a squire or page to a person of high rank
Did you know?
The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."
Examples of henchman in a Sentence
a gangster surrounded by his henchmen
Recent Examples on the Web
Malaparte, by then, was making his name as one of Mussolini’s highbrow henchmen.
—
Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
The mosasaur has henchman spinosaurs – a nice touch – while a titanosaurus couple shares a loving moment (which gets interrupted by some pesky humans).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 July 2025
The rogue-like nature is because each scenario, what type of henchmen the player will face, and the rewards for beating the scenario change with each playthrough.
—Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025
Before her family arrives, Bree tries to shoot Grady, but once Grady’s henchman captures Diller, she’s forced to make a choice: drop the gun or watch her son die.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
The mosasaur has henchman spinosaurs – a nice touch – while a titanosaurus couple shares a loving moment (which gets interrupted by some pesky humans).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 July 2025
The rogue-like nature is because each scenario, what type of henchmen the player will face, and the rewards for beating the scenario change with each playthrough.
—Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025
Before her family arrives, Bree tries to shoot Grady, but once Grady’s henchman captures Diller, she’s forced to make a choice: drop the gun or watch her son die.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən
1
: a trusted follower
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang
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