henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən 
plural henchmen
1
a
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c
: a member of a gang
2
obsolete
: a squire or page to a person of high rank
Did you know?
The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."
Examples of henchman in a Sentence
a gangster surrounded by his henchmen
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Kwong, a martial artist and actor who played one of the Three Storms in Big Trouble in Little China and a henchman in The Golden Child during a prolific acting career and was active in actors union politics and the movie and TV academy leadership, has died.
—
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 28 May 2025
The film’s extended pre-title sequence culminates in Ethan brutally murdering the henchmen that Gabriel (Esai Morales) has dispatched to kill her.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 23 May 2025
In 1996, the actor played Robert De Niro’s henchman in Michael Mann’s drama Heat.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
Before the mole can get much info from her mark, however, top Harrigan henchman Paul (Emmett J. Scanlan) arrives.
—EW.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
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Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 28 May 2025
The film’s extended pre-title sequence culminates in Ethan brutally murdering the henchmen that Gabriel (Esai Morales) has dispatched to kill her.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 23 May 2025
In 1996, the actor played Robert De Niro’s henchman in Michael Mann’s drama Heat.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
Before the mole can get much info from her mark, however, top Harrigan henchman Paul (Emmett J. Scanlan) arrives.
—EW.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən
1
: a trusted follower
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang
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