client

client — noun

1. someone who pays a specialist, such as a lawyer or an accountant, for their prof

1.nounB2
Definition

someone who pays a specialist, such as a lawyer or an accountant, for their professional advice or work

Example

The law firm gained several new corporate clients last quarter.

collocation: corporate client / new client

Ravi met with his client to discuss the contract before signing.

Common collocations
  • regular client
  • existing client
  • potential client
  • corporate client
  • business client
  • client base
  • client account
Synonyms
  • customer

    more general; used for someone buying goods in a shop, not necessarily an ongoing relationship

  • patron

    more formal; often used for regular customers of hotels, restaurants, or the arts

  • consumer

    broader economic term for anyone who buys and uses goods or services

Grammar Patterns

client + of + [professional/organization]

client + possessive + noun

Usage Note

A client typically has an ongoing relationship with a professional (lawyer, accountant, designer, therapist) rather than making a one-off purchase of goods. Compare CUSTOMER, which is more common for shop transactions.

Common Mistakes

The supermarket staff helped a client find the milk.
The supermarket staff helped a customer find the milk.
A supermarket sells goods to customers; client is better for professional services.

2. a computer or device on a network that asks a larger central computer, called a

2.nounB2
Definition

a computer or device on a network that asks a larger central computer, called a server, for data or services

Example

Each client on the office network is checked for viruses every morning.

collocation: client on the network

The server sends updated files to every connected client automatically.

technical pattern: server sends to client

Common collocations
  • client computer
  • client device
  • email client
  • web client
  • client-server
  • client machine
  • thin client
Synonyms
  • workstation

    a specific type of client computer used for professional tasks; more limited in meaning

  • terminal

    an older or simpler device that connects to a server; modern clients usually have their own processing power

Antonyms
  • server

    the central computer that provides data and services to clients

Grammar Patterns

client + on + [network]

client + server

Usage Note

In computing, client almost always appears alongside server. A client device (laptop, phone, tablet) requests data, and the server provides it. Common in phrases like client-server architecture and email client.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Client and customer both describe someone who pays for goods or services. The main difference is the type of relationship: a client typically has an ongoing professional relationship with a service provider (a lawyer, accountant, or designer), whereas a customer usually makes individual purchases from a shop or business. Patron is a more formal term for a regular customer, especially of hotels, restaurants, theatres, or the arts — it suggests loyalty and support. Consumer is a broader, more impersonal economic term for anyone who buys and uses products. For example: 'The architect discussed the plans with her client over several months' (ongoing professional relationship), but 'The assistant helped a customer find a coat in the right size' (one-off shop purchase). Marketing teams study consumer behaviour across entire markets, not individual relationships.

customer ↗patron ↗consumer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • client services
  • client relationship
  • client account

Phrases

  • on behalf of a client
  • meet with a client

Prepositions

  • client of [someone/organization]
  • client with [needs/requirements]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Client comes from the Latin word cliens, meaning a person who depended on a wealthier patron for protection and support. It passed through French into English in the 1300s. The original sense of a dependent follower later shifted to someone who pays for professional advice, and in the late 1900s the computing sense emerged as networks grew.