assistant

assistant — noun

1. a person whose job is to support a more senior worker by handling smaller tasks,

1.nounB1
Definition

a person whose job is to support a more senior worker by handling smaller tasks, paperwork, and arrangements so the senior person can focus on bigger duties.

Example

Mira works as an assistant to the head chef at a busy hotel kitchen.

pattern: assistant to + senior person

The lawyer asked her assistant to print copies of the contract before the meeting.

typical task: handling routine work for a senior

Common collocations
  • personal assistant
  • research assistant
  • teaching assistant
  • administrative assistant
  • executive assistant
  • assistant to the director
Synonyms
  • helper

    more general; can describe casual or unpaid help, not just a job role

  • aide

    common in political, medical, or military settings; sounds more formal

  • deputy

    ranks higher than an assistant; can act in place of the senior person

Antonyms
  • boss

    the person an assistant reports to

  • supervisor

    the person who directs and reviews the assistant's work

Grammar Patterns

assistant to + person

[adjective/job] + assistant

Usage Note

Frequently appears as a compound job title (research assistant, teaching assistant, personal assistant). Often modified by 'to + person' to name the senior worker being supported.

Common Mistakes

She is an assistant of the manager.
She is an assistant to the manager.
the preposition is 'to', not 'of'.
He assistants the doctor every Friday.
He assists the doctor every Friday.
'assistant' is only a noun; the verb is 'assist'.

2. a worker in a store who serves people at the counter, points out products, answe

2.nounA2
Definition

a worker in a store who serves people at the counter, points out products, answers questions, and rings up purchases.

Example

The shop assistant showed Camille three pairs of running shoes in her size.

compound: shop assistant (British English)

A friendly assistant at the bakery wrapped the birthday cake in pink paper.

Common collocations
  • shop assistant
  • sales assistant
  • store assistant
  • checkout assistant
  • Saturday assistant
Synonyms
  • salesclerk

    American English equivalent for someone serving shop customers

  • sales associate

    modern American job title used in retail chains

  • shopkeeper

    owns or runs the shop, rather than being employed there

Antonyms
  • customer

    the person being served, not the one serving

Grammar Patterns

shop assistant

sales assistant

Usage Note

Mainly British English; American speakers usually say 'salesclerk', 'sales associate', or simply 'clerk'. Distinguish from sense 1: this 'assistant' serves shoppers, not a senior colleague.

Common Mistakes

I work as an assistant in the supermarket' (in American English contexts).
I work as a sales associate in the supermarket.
in the US, 'assistant' alone usually means the office helper of sense 1.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who supports another person at work, but they differ in formality, rank, and setting. 'Assistant' is the standard, neutral office word — Mira, an assistant to the head chef, handles routine tasks so her boss can focus on bigger ones. 'Helper' is the most informal and often unpaid: a child who carries the groceries is a helper, not an assistant. 'Aide' appears mostly in political, medical, or military contexts ('a senator's aide', 'a nursing aide') and feels more formal. 'Deputy' ranks clearly higher than an assistant: a deputy mayor can sign documents and make decisions when the mayor is away, while an assistant usually cannot.

assistant ↗helper ↗aide ↗deputy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • shop assistant
  • sales assistant
  • personal assistant
  • research assistant
  • teaching assistant
  • administrative assistant
  • executive assistant
  • assistant manager

Phrases

  • work as an assistant
  • hire an assistant
  • promote someone from assistant

Prepositions

  • assistant to (someone)
  • assistant at (a place)
  • assistant in (a department)

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Comes from Medieval Latin 'assistentem', the present participle of 'assistere', meaning 'to stand by or attend to'. The word travelled through Old French into English in the 1400s, first describing someone standing alongside another to give support, and gradually narrowed to the modern sense of a worker who supports a senior colleague or serves customers.