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

Authorities also announced the death of his right-hand man.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Rachel managed to deceive and conquer throughout the game with her right-hand man, fellow traitor and fellow winner Stephen, who was someone she trusted from the start.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

What impact will the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man have?

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Reinhold Barth, Dasch's relative and Kappe's right-hand man, had worked for the Long Island Rail Road in America, and he gave them a tour of a railroad plant and yards.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple