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Synonyms

bodyguard

American  
[bod-ee-gahrd] / ˈbɒd iˌgɑrd /

noun

  1. a person or group of persons employed to guard an individual, as a high official, from bodily harm.

  2. a retinue; escort.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to provide with or act as a bodyguard.

bodyguard British  
/ ˈbɒdɪˌɡɑːd /

noun

  1. a person or group of people who escort and protect someone, esp a political figure

"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 bodyguard

First recorded in 1725–35; body + guard

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.

If so, he's considered one of his grandfather's most trusted confidantes, having been his personal bodyguard, and more business-orientated than ideological, with no high-level diplomatic experience.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

For the remainder of his time in Venezuela, he had a bodyguard by his side.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

JOP is often flanked by bodyguard Mario Rogelio, who once got his foot run over by a car while protecting the band in New York City.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Azerbaijani prosecutors have alleged a disgraced former bodyguard of French President Emmanuel Macron, Alexandre Benalla, was also paid a bribe in the scheme.

From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025

Everyone leaped off the platform—except for one bodyguard, who was knocked over as the wave barreled past.

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.