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Synonyms

security guard

American  

noun

  1. a uniformed guard employed by a bank, airport, office building, etc., to maintain security.

security guard British  

noun

  1. a person employed to protect buildings, people, etc, and to collect and deliver large sums of money

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of security guard

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A security guard told her the agency wasn’t doing in-person interviews, so she headed to a food bank instead.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

A lone security guard pacing the grounds said authorities closed the facility about a week ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Leroy, who left the military to become a security guard, told police he thought he had been acting all the time on behalf of the government.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

So I don’t know if it was her personal security guard, but he was with her.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

“Like the security guard said, though—planning doesn’t always work.”

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.