assistant meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

assistant

adj

/əˈsɪstənt/

Etymology From Middle English assistent, from Middle French assistant, from assister. By surface analysis, assist + -ant.

Having a subordinate or auxiliary position.

Helping; lending aid or support; auxiliary.

Genius and learning […] are mutually and greatly assistant to each other.1790, James Beattie, Elements of Moral Science:
The person principally assistant on this occasion, indeed the only one who did any service, or seemed likely to do any, was the landlady […]1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

noun

Etymology From Middle English assistent, from Middle French assistant, from assister. By surface analysis, assist + -ant.

Obsolete Someone who is present; a bystander, a witness.

a woman of great authority, having first yeelded an accompt unto her Citizens, and shewed good reasons why she was resolved to end her life, earnestly entreated Pompey to be an assistant at her death, that so it might be esteemed more honourable[…].1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 3, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

A person who assists or helps someone else.

UK Sales assistant.

A software tool that provides assistance in some task, a wizard program.

Derived terms: 37 terms
assistant chief constable, assistant field cornet, assistantly, assistant-manage, assistant manager, assistant professor, assistant referee, assistantship, assistant stage manager, butler's assistant, certified nursing assistant, education assistant, lab assistant, laboratory assistant, language assistant, legal assistant, library assistant, nurse assistant, nurse's assistant, nurse-assistant, nurses' assistant, nursing assistant, personal assistant, personal digital assistant, physician assistant, physician's assistant, physician-assistant, physicians' assistant, referee assistant, research assistant, shop assistant, teacher's assistant, teaching assistant, underassistant, video assistant referee, virtual assistant, voice assistant
Related terms: assist, assistance