client

American  

[klahy-uhnt] / ˈklaɪ ənt /

noun

• clients
  plural

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 /

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

• cliental
  adjective
• nonclient
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clients
  plural

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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)

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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

See Examples For:

client clients

It said in a client letter it planned to return some client money after evaluating its optimal size, a step firms sometimes take to improve performance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

“We convert up to the top of whatever tax bracket the client is in,” said Buffardi.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Vasquez’s attorney, Christopher Chaney, told The Times in a statement that his client “accepted responsibility for his role in Mr. Arambula’s death and has expressed genuine remorse for the pain he caused.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

"But AI skills on their own are not going to help you in your career. You've got to couple that with that sector knowledge of what that client actually wants."

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

In an underground cell at the U.S. military base in West Berlin, James Donovan had one last meeting with his client, Rudolf Abel.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

While at Merrill during the financial crisis, a few clients filed complaints with regulators about Scott’s investment recommendations, which he has denied and tried unsuccessfully to get expunged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Scott said it isn’t uncommon to get calls from nervous clients, particularly new ones, on days when the market sells off as it did Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

During the 2021 holiday season, Amazon increased advertisers’ average cost per click by 20%, with some clients experiencing prices triple the usual amount, the FTC alleged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

When the savings number dips low, like to $10,000 or $15,000, clients tend to skip the conversion altogether and just pay the tax as they take withdrawals.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

We told the judges and parole boards we were committed to providing the assistance our clients required.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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Related Words

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

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