usher
noun
a person who escorts people to seats in a theater, church, etc.
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usher
1 American
[uhsh-er]
/ ˈʌʃ ər /
noun
-
ushers
plural
-
a person who escorts people to seats in a theater, church, etc.
-
a person acting as an official doorkeeper, as in a courtroom or legislative chamber.
-
a male attendant of a bridegroom at a wedding.
-
an officer whose business it is to introduce strangers or to walk before a person of rank.
-
British Archaic. a subordinate teacher or an assistant in a school.
verb (used with object)
-
ushers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ushered,
past participle, past
-
ushering
present participle
-
to act as an usher to; lead, introduce, or conduct.
She ushered them to their seats.
-
to attend or bring at the coming or beginning; precede or herald (usually followed byin ).
to usher in the new theater season.
verb (used without object)
-
ushers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ushered,
past participle, past
-
ushering
present participle
Usher
2
American
[uhsh-er]
/ ˈʌʃ ər /
noun
usher
1
British
/ ˈʌʃə /
noun
-
an official who shows people to their seats, as in a church or theatre
-
a person who acts as doorkeeper, esp in a court of law
-
(in England) a minor official charged with maintaining order in a court of law
-
an officer responsible for preceding persons of rank in a procession or introducing strangers at formal functions
-
obsolete a teacher
verb
-
to conduct or escort, esp in a courteous or obsequious way
-
(usually foll by in) to be a precursor or herald (of)
Usher
2
British
/ ˈʌʃə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ushersimple
-
usherssimple
-
have usheredperfect
-
has usheredperfect
-
am usheringprogressive
-
are usheringprogressive
-
is usheringprogressive
-
have been usheringperfect progressive
-
has been usheringperfect progressive
Past
-
usheredsimple
-
had usheredperfect
-
was usheringprogressive
-
were usheringprogressive
-
had been usheringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of usher
1350–1400; Middle English uscher doorkeeper < Anglo-French usser, Old French ( h ) uissier doorman, officer of justice < Vulgar Latin *ustiārius, equivalent to Latin ōsti ( um ) door + -ārius -ary; see -er 2
Explanation
That guy who guided you to your seat? He's called an usher. You most often see ushers at movie theaters and weddings. An usher is someone with the job of helping people find their seats. At the movies, ushers take your tickets and tell you where to go. At some theaters and sports venues, the ushers might actually take you to your seat — they usher you there. If you're an usher in a wedding party, it's your job to walk guests down the aisle and to their seats. The doorkeeper at a courtroom or legislative chamber is called an usher, too.
Vocabulary lists containing usher
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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.
See Examples For:
It will alter streaming for millions, usher in a new chapter in the film and TV industry, and leave one of the biggest US news outlets, CNN, in uncertain territory.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Robinhood skyrocketed to national prominence during the 2021 meme-stock frenzy, when its easy-to-use app helped usher in a wave of trading during the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
With this new test, SpaceX hopes to usher in an "exciting new phase" of development that will include, among other things, tests of refueling the rocket in orbit.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Tesla built hype ahead of the Cybercab event, which Musk said would usher in a “storm of Cybercabs” across Austin, Texas.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
“A wandering soul came to Deadwood two nights ago. I’ve tried to usher her into every realm in the Afterlife, but she won’t leave.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Sleater-Kinney and Phair’s co-headlining tour happens to follow a flood of co-headlining tours this year, from indie acts like Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman to big marquee names like Usher and Chris Brown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Artwork by his son Naviyd is featured on the walls, while an enlarged drawing of a tattoo that Usher has on his chin has been turned into a decorative ceiling mural.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Brown is currently performing with Usher on their joint North American stadium tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
BBC correspondent Barbara Plett Usher, reporting from Jerusalem, examines the latest tensions over the key international shipping channel.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
At least one book of note spells his name "Usher."
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Other kindly ushers, who had directed people to an adjacent section after Section 535 filled up, politely asked everyone to please put their shirts back on before returning to the general stadium population.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Political analyst Dr Levy Ndou said Hill-Lewis' election, alongside other young leaders in the party, "ushers in a new era" and could be a "very good thing" for the organisation.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
The tiny white and pink petals of cherry flowers, known as sakura, herald the start of spring in Japan, and full bloom ushers in a brief period of boisterous outdoor parties held by residents.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
The new year ushers in bigger paychecks for many workers — but those wage increases may not feel so impressive as prices also increase.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 6, 2026
Long ushers a student through the metal detectors, as if he never left, and Tate checks a backpack nearby.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Still, I was curious to test their capabilities, so Pinkerton ushered a robot to my kitchen sink, where I had assembled a small selection of dishes that I deemed expendable.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Regulators have ushered in looser regulation for financial institutions and a more permissive dealmaking environment, while buoyant stocks and more initial public offerings have propelled banks to record profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
One when another newly confident leader, David Cameron, ushered in the modern Tory party on the conference stage in front of digitally produced green foliage and sunlight.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The condemned woman was "loudly snoring, clearly very alive" as the journalists were ushered out of the area, Chandler told CBS.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Ella was ushered in front of the crowd.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
The era of AI cheating, deepfakes and North Korean remote workers is ushering in new screening tactics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The wait is over, and the Vision Theatre Performing Arts Center is preparing to reopen, ushering in a new era of performance, events and Black culture in Leimert Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Many considered Winkleman, 54, to be chat show emperor Graham Norton's presumptive successor - not least because he seemed to be ushering her through himself.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
He’s uniquely responsible for ushering in an age of barbarism and will spend the rest of his life making amends in the fallen world he helped create.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Follow me,” Jack said, ushering them down the hall.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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