henchman

noun

hench·​man ˈhench-mən How to pronounce henchman (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over eight episodes, the brothers find themselves at the mercy of Mancuso — a former family friend — and his vicious henchmen, and they are forced to confront the emotional scars of growing up with an alcoholic father, who had gambled away his own restaurant. Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2025 In broad daylight, a presidential henchman openly threatened to inflict financial pain in retribution for speech the leader doesn't like. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 Those Arabs who dared to cooperate with British efforts to restore peace faced death at the hands of his henchmen. Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025 At the end of the episode, tragedy strikes when Robbie’s latest robbery ends in one of his henchmen and all of the drug house’s attendants dying. Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for henchman

Word History

Etymology

Middle English henshman, hengestman groom, from hengest stallion (from Old English) + man; akin to Old High German hengist gelding

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of henchman was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

henchman

noun
hench·​man ˈhench-mən How to pronounce henchman (audio)
1
: a trusted follower
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang

More from Merriam-Webster on henchman

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