valet

American  

[va-ley, val-it, val-ey] / væˈleɪ, ˈvæl ɪt, ˈvæl eɪ /

noun

1. a male servant who attends to the personal needs of his male employer, as by taking care of clothing or the like; manservant.

2. a man who is employed for cleaning and pressing, laundering, and similar services for patrons of a hotel, passengers on a ship, etc.

3. an attendant who parks cars for patrons at a hotel, restaurant, etc.

4. a stand or rack for holding coats, hats, etc.

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verb (used with or without object)

valeted, valeting

1. to serve as a valet.

valet British  

/ ˈvæleɪ, ˈvælɪt /

noun

1. French name: valet de chambre.  a manservant who acts as personal attendant to his employer, looking after his clothing, serving his meals, etc

2. a manservant who attends to the requirements of patrons in a hotel, passengers on board ship, etc; steward

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verb

1. to act as a valet for (a person)

2. (tr) to clean the bodywork and interior of (a car) as a professional service

Other Word Forms

• unvaleted adjective
• valetless adjective

Etymology

Origin of valet

1560–70; < French; Middle French va ( s ) let squire, equivalent to vas- (< Medieval Latin vassus servant) + -let -let; vassal

Example Sentences

I don’t recall signing up for this artificial intelligence feature, which is like having a word valet.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

Recognizing her as a fellow lodger, Sellers sent his valet to knock on her door.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Employees and self-employed workers may deduct qualified tips they received in jobs that the IRS deems as “customarily and regularly receiving tips,” ranging from parking and valet attendants to hairdressers to plumbers.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

Among those amenities are 24/7 security, door attendants, valet parking, and front desk service—as well as fitness facilities, an outdoor pool, a steam room, and extra storage.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025

Christopher had traveled to New York as a valet in training.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Related Words

• attendant
• servant