aide
Americannoun
-
an assistant or helper, especially a paid employee.
Years ago, my mom was a teacher’s aide in a kindergarten classroom.
-
During the war she worked as an aide in a field hospital, changing bedpans and cleaning floors.
-
an assistant or advisor to a public figure, especially one who works for a person in public office.
He is a journalist and former White House aide.
-
The agency just called to say my mom's aide didn't show up this morning.
noun
-
an assistant
-
social welfare an unqualified assistant to a professional welfare worker
-
short for aide-de-camp
Commonly Confused
See aid.
Etymology
Origin of aide
An Americanism first recorded in 1770–80; from French: literally, “helper”; see origin at aid
Explanation
Remember that aide with an "e" at the end is a noun. It refers to a person who helps or acts as an assistant, such as a nurse's aide or a presidential aide. The noun aide is actually a shortened form of the 17th century French phrase, aide-de-camp, which meant "camp assistant" and was the title given to the secretary of a high-ranking military officer. It was used extensively throughout the Revolutionary War, and the shortened form is considered an Americanism. Today, we apply the word aide to anyone who serves as an advisor or as an assistant.
Vocabulary lists containing aide
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Out of My Mind
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The moves have added to the anxieties of some Bartell customers and staff, who have already seen a wave of closures since Rite Aide purchased the family-owned Seattle drugstore company.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2023
Aide Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday the charges were trumped up.
From Reuters • May 9, 2023
Also found in the box were 45 empty folders marked "classified" and 28 folders marked "Return to Staff Secretary/Military Aide."
From Salon • Nov. 14, 2022
Data are still being analyzed, but the strategy helped, Aide says: “Malaria transmission continued, but we didn’t see the expected increase in cases after the peak malaria season.”
From Science Magazine • Sep. 8, 2022
That’s why he’d been president of the Library Aide Society for three years straight.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
