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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.

Jorginho has now confirmed the security guard involved was not employed by Roan and that the "matter is now closed".

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

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

He got a job as a security guard working at one of the buildings on Wall Street.

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.