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

Derived Forms

• nonclient
  adjective
• cliental
  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” ( see incline)

Explanation

If you pay for something, you are a client. If you pay to get your dog groomed, you are a client of the dog groomer (and so is your pooch). If you shop at a certain store or use the services of a particular business, then you are a client of that store or business. If you want to go into acting, for example, you'll need to become a client of a talent agent. In computer terms, a client is a computer that makes a request of another computer, called a server. The term client is especially used in networks where one server may handle multiple requests from multiple clients.

Example Sentences

The charity said the increased time spent with clients highlighted the "increasing complexity of client needs and the growing demand on our adviser resources".

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The average time spent with each client rose from 51 to 54 minutes, which it said was equivalent to about 150 extra hours of adviser time overall.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Shares carried on dropping after CEO Hock Tan said on an earnings call that major custom-chip client Google was likely diversify its supply chain.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Matthew Fleissig, chief executive of Pathstone, which oversees more than $185 billion for investors and family offices, has tried to make his firm a one-stop shop for its growing client base of centimillionaires.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

“I don’t know what your client thought. I’m not him.”

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Related Words

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