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

Dr. Ralph Abraham, his right-hand man at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently shrugged off rising measles cases, saying that losing our elimination status was simply the “cost of doing business.”

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

Sanchez’s former right-hand man and former transport minister, Jose Luis Abalos, went on trial this month over alleged kickbacks linked to public contracts.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

"We became quite silent when we found the first bone," he said, adding that there were several pointers indicating that the skeleton belonged to the Sun King's right-hand man.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Haugstatter, Delpique’s right-hand man, handles scheduling and fills in for him on Fridays and Saturdays—Delpique’s days off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

When the sighting rod was set up, Rondon’s loyal right-hand man, Lieutenant João Salustiano Lyra, used a telemeter, an instrument that measured the distance from his canoe to the sighting rod.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple