client

American  

[klahy-uhnt] / ˈklaɪ ənt /

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.

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adjective

1. being a regular customer.

   a client company.

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

client British  

/ 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

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client Scientific  

/ klī′ənt /

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

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Other Word Forms

• cliental adjective
• nonclient adjective

Etymology

Origin of client

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 )

Example Sentences

“You should have seen me, I was hustling and hustling for them,” she recounts about finding her famous client a home to purchase.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

BBC News NI approached the contractor to ask how much the options differed in price, but the firm said it was unable to discuss it without permission from the client.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Its client list includes Sempra, the parent company of SoCalGas, which opposed the clean air standards, which would have encouraged the sale of pollution-free heat pumps and threatened the utility’s business.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Janoff added that the Apple job was "the only time in my entire career where I presented only one solution" to a client.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Kathy hadn’t given much thought to the storm this client was talking about.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

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