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, 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

• cliental
  adjective
• nonclient
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clients
  plural

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

See Examples For:

client clients

“We see this in our continued strong financial results, client satisfaction, employee engagement, and breakthrough innovation as we build and ship products better and faster than ever before.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Its wealth management division recorded a 13 percent increase in revenue, supported by fees generated from client transactions.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

In later interviews, Bush appears more guarded in his responses and in early July, his solicitor reads out a statement in which his client insists he never prevented burials.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The client had already received several owner-occupied loans in just a few years, and the banker was objecting to a new one, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

He was going to tick on a form that his client was willing to be removed.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Cross-contamination is real, and why make-up artists sanitise everything in between clients.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Greg Larkin, one of the organizers of the Hudson Valley retreat for corporate professionals, said his clients were the type of people who were seeking “a sanctuary from the ‘crush-it summit.’”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

The 5% slippage versus consensus on revenues and operating profit by SK Hynix is inexcusable, Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist at Jones Trading, told clients in a note.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

“He’s never been in trouble. He’s never not taken his meds. He’s been a role model honestly for other clients in the program,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

I had learned to accept what clients tell me until the facts suggest something else.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

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