valet

1 of 2

noun

va·​let ˈva-lət  ˈva-(ˌ)lā 

va-ˈlā

1

a

: an employee (as of a hotel or a public facility) who performs personal services for customers

b

: a man's male servant who performs personal services (such as taking care of clothing)

2

: a device (such as a rack or tray) for holding clothing or personal effects

valet

2 of 2

verb

valeted; valeting; valets

transitive verb

: to serve as a valet

Examples of valet in a Sentence

Verb

She runs her own valeting business.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At one point, video appears to show the shop’s front doors lock the robbers inside, before one of them fires off several shots through the glass, allowing the group to escape to getaway cars parked in the lot’s valet area. —Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025

On Monday, a member of the group fired upon the door to escape before the thieves fled into six getaway vehicles in the valet area of the shopping mall -- several of which were reportedly stolen, police said. —Mason Leath, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025

Verb

To attend the show, there’s a package for $1,400 that includes a one-night stay at Bowie House, two concert tickets, two drinks at the show and valet for one vehicle. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025

Las Vegas’ 24-hour economy is fueled by the hospitality and service industries, where everyone from restaurant waiters to valet parkers to hotel maids relies on gratuities. —Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vadlet, valet, varlet "male servant, groom, knight's attendant," borrowed from Anglo-French, "young man of noble birth serving a lord, boy, servant," going back to Gallo-Romance *vassellittus, diminutive of *vassellus, diminutive of early Medieval Latin vassus "serf, servant, vassal" — more at vassal

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing valet

• valet de chambre
• valet parking
• valet service

Rhymes for valet

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

valet

noun

va·​let

ˈval-ā,

va-ˈlā,

ˈval-ət

1

: a male servant who takes care of a man's clothes and does personal services

2

: a hotel employee who does personal services for guests