Synonyms of retainer

retainer

noun

ri-ˈtā-nər 

1

as in servant

a person hired to perform household or personal services

knights being dressed for battle by their retainers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• servant
• maid
• housekeeper
• lackey
• steward
• butler
• woman
• groom
• flunky
• daily
• domestic
• assistant
• manservant
• valet
• man
• footman
• servitor
• menial
• houseman
• housemaid
• companion
• majordomo
• maidservant
• houseboy
• wench
• follower
• attendant
• handmaiden
• lady-in-waiting
• factotum
• gofer
• dogsbody
• drudge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• master
• mistress
• head
• leader
• boss
• captain
• chief
• foreman
• headman
• kingpin
• helmsman
• taskmaster

2

as in employee

one who works for another for wages or a salary

lifelong civil service retainers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• employee
• worker
• assistant
• colleague
• hireling
• associate
• laborer
• jobholder
• hand
• underling
• subordinate
• cog
• flunky
• workman
• yes-man
• wage earner
• workwoman
• gandy dancer
• toiler
• grub
• temporary
• jobber
• hack
• coworker
• wage slave
• wageworker
• workingman
• workingwoman
• navvy
• drudge
• temp
• nine-to-fiver

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• employer
• boss
• supervisor
• gaffer
• superior

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of retainer

Most firms require a retainer fee of several thousand dollars, as well as monthly payments. — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 15 May 2026

Fee-only compensation can take a number of forms, including hourly, retainer or flat fees or a percentage of assets the advisor manages for the client. — Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2026

Moving from retainer billing toward pricing tied to measurable outcomes is genuinely difficult. — Ming Zhu, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

To conceal the scheme and hide the bribes, prosecutors say, Zhu entered into a sham retainer agreement with Carone’s younger brother, Anthony Carone, 54, who is alleged to have laundered the payments through his law firm. — Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 2 July 2026