watchman

noun

watch·​man ˈwäch-mən 

ˈwȯch-

: a person who keeps watch : guard

Synonyms of watchman

• custodian
• guard
• guardian
• warden
• keeper
• sentinel
• sentry

Examples of watchman in a Sentence

A watchman stopped them at the gate.

hired a watchman to patrol the factory at night

Recent Examples on the Web

The Guardian Built From The Same Cloth The institutions that protect our money are nevertheless far from defenseless, since the very capacity for recognizing patterns that empowers the attacker also sharpens the eyes of the watchman. — Dennis-Kenji Kipker, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Fiddlers played at the street corners and watchmen called out the hour of the day. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026

Francis Ford Coppola meditates on the question of who is watching the watchmen in The Conversation, a neo-noir mystery thriller about the human side of surveillance. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026

Nearly 1,400 votes were cast for Elgin High School’s new mascot, with 558 for a lion, 421 for watchmen/timekeepers and 417 for a fox, according to information provided by Principal Avelira Rodriguez Gonzalez. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watchman

• night watchman

Rhymes for watchman

• scotchman

Kids Definition

watchman

noun

watch·​man -mən 

: a person assigned to watch : guard