best man

American

noun

the chief attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding.

best man British

noun

the (male) attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of best man

First recorded in 1775–85

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:

best man

Mr. Hernández, a “Saturday Night Live” cast member, is particularly shrill as the best man who can’t forgive his pal for getting married.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

He is also a co-host of the popular "New Heights" podcast alongside his brother Jason, who was his best man.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

It took five of those "ridiculous" hours to finish the video, which was then revealed during a best man speech at Considine's wedding.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

At age 65, Lou served as the best man at his son’s wedding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

He was the best man at Tommy’s wedding.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023