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
His other performances included as Robert De Niro’s nasty henchman in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995); as Marlon Brando’s insane assistant in John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) and as the suave crook Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce’s The Saint (1997).
—
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
The not-so-grand finale of Reacher’s third season opens with a gun battle that leaves an entire ATF Special Response Team dead, along with a commensurate number of henchmen that Quinn flew in from somewhere.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
Clyde, as 1923 viewers now tragically know, is one of Banner Creighton’s (Jerome Flynn) henchmen who was sent to infiltrate the Dutton family and report back for the Yellowstone prequel’s big bad, Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton).
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025
Upon hearing his henchmen — including Livestock Association mole Clyde (Brian Konowal) — hype up Spencer as a war hero and great hunter, Banner calls for him to be executed alongside the rest of the Dutton clan.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
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Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
The not-so-grand finale of Reacher’s third season opens with a gun battle that leaves an entire ATF Special Response Team dead, along with a commensurate number of henchmen that Quinn flew in from somewhere.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
Clyde, as 1923 viewers now tragically know, is one of Banner Creighton’s (Jerome Flynn) henchmen who was sent to infiltrate the Dutton family and report back for the Yellowstone prequel’s big bad, Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton).
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025
Upon hearing his henchmen — including Livestock Association mole Clyde (Brian Konowal) — hype up Spencer as a war hero and great hunter, Banner calls for him to be executed alongside the rest of the Dutton clan.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 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 18 Apr. 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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