shop assistant

American

noun

British.

a store clerk.

shop assistant British

noun

a person who serves in a shop

"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 shop assistant

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

They categorise jobs into five groups; the lowest two of which are considered working class and include occupations such as mechanic, electrician, shop assistant, labourer, cleaner and waiter.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

The disappearance of coffee shop assistant Henrietta and hotel house keeper Eliza sparked a major search operation last month.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2025

A shop assistant levels up on a smartphone game.

From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2023

When the shop assistant from Bangor, County Down, first went missing, police said they could not rule out a crime.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2023

Her mother ignored her; she was talking to the shop assistant.

From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman

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