client

[klahy-uhnt]

noun

1. a person or group that uses the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.

2. a person who is receiving the benefits, services, etc., of a social welfare agency, a government bureau, etc.

3. a customer.

4. anyone under the patronage of another; a dependent.

5. Computers.,  a computer or an application on a computer that communicates with a remote server.

   Exit the program before installing the patch to update the client.

6. client state.

7. (in ancient Rome) a plebeian who lived under the patronage of a patrician.

adjective

1. being a regular customer.

   a client company.

2. economically, and often militarily, dependent upon a more prosperous, more powerful nation.

client

/ ˈklaɪənt, klaɪˈɛntəl /

noun

1. a person, company, etc, that seeks the advice of a professional man or woman

2. a customer

3. a person who is registered with or receiving services or financial aid from a welfare agency

4. computing a program or work station that requests data or information from a server

5. a person depending on another's patronage

client

1. A program that runs on a personal computer or workstation connected to a computer network and requests information from a file server.

Other Word Forms

• cliental adjective
• nonclient adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of client¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin client-, stem of cliēns “person seeking the protection or influence of someone powerful”; perhaps akin to clīnāre “to bend” ( incline )

Word History and Origins

Origin of client¹

C14: from Latin cliēns retainer, dependant; related to Latin clīnāre to lean

Example Sentences

She depicts her clients as fully autonomous, seeking to un-queer themselves on their own.

Read more on Salon

“Anyway,” she adds — there’s a word you’re likely to hear a dozen or more times chatting with Lauper — she and Wolff got together romantically as girlfriend and boyfriend then professionally as client and manager.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Most of our clients are long-term holders," Mr Gregersen added, explaining that the majority of his customers store their gold for more than four years.

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“For 37 days, our client was forced to endure medical treatment and recovery with ICE agents in his room, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the statement read.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“We do not pay our clients to file lawsuits, and we strongly oppose such actions,” the firm previously said in a statement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• applicant 
• buyer 
• consumer 
• patient 
• patron 
• shopper