right-hand man

American  

noun

1. an indispensable or invaluable assistant; right hand.

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right-hand man Idioms  

1. Also, right-hand woman. A trusted helper, as in Give it to Jill, she's my right-hand man. Based on the idea that in most people the right hand is the stronger of the two, this idiom today usually disregards gender, as in the example. However, in the the 17th and 18th centuries it also meant a soldier in a post of command on the right side of a cavalry unit, and then always denoted a man. [c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of right-hand man

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

"We became quite silent when we found the first bone," he said, adding that there were several pointers indicating that the skeleton belonged to the Sun King's right-hand man.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Authorities also announced the death of his right-hand man.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Haugstatter, Delpique’s right-hand man, handles scheduling and fills in for him on Fridays and Saturdays—Delpique’s days off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

Munger, who died in 2023, was Buffett’s longtime right-hand man.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

In the Bible, Joseph is cast out by his brothers and sold into slavery and then rises to become the pharaoh’s right-hand man on the strength of his own brilliance and insight.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell