client

[klahy-uhnt]

noun

1. a person or group that uses the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.

2. a person who is receiving the benefits, services, etc., of a social welfare agency, a government bureau, etc.

3. a customer.

4. anyone under the patronage of another; a dependent.

5. Computers.,  a computer or an application on a computer that communicates with a remote server.

   Exit the program before installing the patch to update the client.

6. client state.

7. (in ancient Rome) a plebeian who lived under the patronage of a patrician.

adjective

1. being a regular customer.

   a client company.

2. economically, and often militarily, dependent upon a more prosperous, more powerful nation.

client

/ ˈklaɪənt, klaɪˈɛntəl /

noun

1. a person, company, etc, that seeks the advice of a professional man or woman

2. a customer

3. a person who is registered with or receiving services or financial aid from a welfare agency

4. computing a program or work station that requests data or information from a server

5. a person depending on another's patronage

client

1. A program that runs on a personal computer or workstation connected to a computer network and requests information from a file server.

Other Word Forms

• cliental adjective
• nonclient adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of client¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin client-, stem of cliēns “person seeking the protection or influence of someone powerful”; perhaps akin to clīnāre “to bend” ( incline )

Word History and Origins

Origin of client¹

C14: from Latin cliēns retainer, dependant; related to Latin clīnāre to lean

Example Sentences

He was part of a Goldman team focused on building the business of structured notes and derivatives for Latin American clients.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC said his client had serious mental health issues which were partly associated with his former army career.

Read more on BBC

"This building will represent our lasting commitment to the City, the UK, our clients and our people," he added.

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“It does little to tackle the U.K.’s sticky services inflation, while other measures could even exacerbate the problem and provides only limited reprieve for the BOE,” the economists wrote in a note to clients.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At the time, representatives for the actor strongly denied that he had bought the home, with his then-manager, Evan Lowenstein, claiming that the condo belonged to him and not his client.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• applicant 
• buyer 
• consumer 
• patient 
• patron 
• shopper