right-hand man

American  

noun

1. an indispensable or invaluable assistant; right hand.

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right-hand man Idioms  

1. Also, right-hand woman. A trusted helper, as in Give it to Jill, she's my right-hand man. Based on the idea that in most people the right hand is the stronger of the two, this idiom today usually disregards gender, as in the example. However, in the the 17th and 18th centuries it also meant a soldier in a post of command on the right side of a cavalry unit, and then always denoted a man. [c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of right-hand man

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

Tagliabue retired in 2006, when he was replaced by Goodell, who had worked as his right hand man at the league office.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor, who played with Gladney at TCU, also paid tribute on Twitter, saying: "Lost my Brother, my best friend, my right hand man."

From BBC • May 31, 2022

You are right hand man to the deputy attorney general.

From MSNBC • Sep. 25, 2019

It’s all the more complicated because of Mr. Biden’s chief claim to fame — having been right hand man to President Obama, who remains a revered figure across the party’s electorate.

From Washington Times • May 27, 2019

Murdoch won promotion at last, and was first superintendent of one of the special departments, and later had general supervision of the mechanical department, becoming "the right hand man" of the firm.

From James Watt by Carnegie, Andrew