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

Explanation

A valet is like a butler: a servant who attends to his employer's needs. A valet is a personal attendant to his employer, who might run errands, clean, cook, drive, or perform other tasks as needed. A valet works very closely with his employer and might even live on the premises. If you go to a fancy restaurant or hotel, you might have a valet park your car — but don't expect him to do your laundry!

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

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

It remains to be seen whether Andrew, who is used to having a full staff and valet, will now be expected to cook his own meals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

He held me up for the valet to see.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• attendant
• servant