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 old man of the night, the watchman not yet in bed. — Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025

Here was another young Black person, a 17-year-old heading back from the convenience store, who had been deemed a threat, shot, and killed by a neighborhood watchman. — Noelle Swan, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2025

Désir explained the various Gede spirits, like Baron Samedi, the spirit that takes souls to the afterlife and Brav Gede the watchman of the graveyard. — Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025

Ideas like reparative journalism and sousveillance — an antonym for surveillance, concerning watching the watchmen in a reversal of power — earn fleeting mentions, but are never the focus of actual inquiry. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 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