ASSISTANT Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

assistant 1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈsi-stənt

Definition of assistant

as in aide

a person who helps a more skilled person the chief assistant to the director

Synonyms & Similar Words

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assistant

2 of 2

adjective

as in assisting

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of assistant

Noun

On some issues, former presidential special assistant Fried said, the administration has a valid argument. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026 Bell High football coach Noel Padilla used to be an assistant to former head coach Frank Medina, now the school’s baseball coach. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. — Jonathan J. Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Leading the prosecution were Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham, a pair of stolid assistant district attorneys in structured suits and dark rectangular glasses. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for assistant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for assistant

Noun

Britain’s populist Reform UK said two senior aides to leader Nigel Farage stepped down on Friday after an undercover investigation alleged the party had broken electoral law by arranging for a foreign donor to pay for political polling.

— NBC news, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
In interviews, his aides are quick to defend the virtue in his obsession.

— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of aide

Adjective

Still, a supportive connection between the moon, Neptune and Pluto retrograde adds a deeper undercurrent to all the buzzing and socializing.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
He's argued that allowing foreign adversaries like China to outpace the US in developing AI could be a risk to national security, but his administration has been very supportive of AI despite the growing backlash.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of supportive

Noun

Approaching retirement, Patrick searches with exacting standards for someone to fill his shoes, investing time in mentoring young apprentice Matteo.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
CEOs would be wise to reinvest some of the profit AI creates into apprentice-style roles that grow entry-level people fast.

— Michael Chavira, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of apprentice

Adjective

So, no, the Chiefs don’t view it as meaningless so much as being subordinate to the real cause.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Those individual leases were subordinate to BDC’s ground lease, meaning Reitman’s group was responsible not just for reopening the theater but for maintaining and overseeing its existing tenancy structure.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of subordinate

Noun

According to them, Trump’s policies on tariffs, aid, and allies have eroded the United States’ standing, opening the door for people across the world to switch their allegiance to China.

— Adam Y. Liu, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Relations between Beijing and Cairo — the recipient of billions of dollars in military aid from Washington — have improved as China takes a more assertive role in the Middle East, analysts noted.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of aid

Noun

But that hasn’t stopped out-of-state reenactors from worrying their muskets will be confiscated at the George Washington Bridge, says Justin Costantino, adjutant of the Long Island Companies of the 3rd New York Regiment.

— Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
In the months since fellow senior Legion executives suspended Abrahamson without pay from his statewide adjutant job in April, a number of the roughly 8,000 members in Idaho have called for a change in leadership.

— Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2024

Definition of adjutant

Noun

No movie has ever been made worse by Mads Mikkelsen, who plays our Big Bad, while Waller-Bridge has great comedic rapport with Ford as his charmingly roguish sidekick.

— Frank DeRuggiero, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Jimmy Kimmel's beloved sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez and pro Witney Carson were previously named as the first pair of the season.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of sidekick

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Style

“Assistant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assistant. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of assistant

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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