aide
Americannoun
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an assistant or helper, especially a paid employee.
Years ago, my mom was a teacher’s aide in a kindergarten classroom.
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During the war she worked as an aide in a field hospital, changing bedpans and cleaning floors.
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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.
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The agency just called to say my mom's aide didn't show up this morning.
noun
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an assistant
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social welfare an unqualified assistant to a professional welfare worker
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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
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Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels
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Out of My Mind
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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.
Ahead of Putin's trip, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters there would be "very detailed" discussions on the pipeline with Xi.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
Instead, he went after the McConnell staffer, longtime Hill defense policy aide Robert Karem.
From Slate • May 16, 2026
"She wants to look at other models around the world and really create a global conversation," said the aide to the princess.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
The agency didn’t identify the person directly, but blurred photographs in the video appear to depict Andriy Yermak, who served as Zelensky’s top aide for five years and his chief link with the U.S. government.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
The group had just begun discussing the proposal when an aide ran in with breaking news from the Associated Press.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
