assistant
/ə'sistənt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A person who helps or supports another person, typically in a subordinate role: An assistant is someone whose job is to help another person, often by performing tasks that support the main person's work or goals.
- A person who contributes to fulfilling a need or furthering an effort: An assistant provides aid to achieve an objective or complete work.
Adjective:
- Having a subordinate or auxiliary function; helping: This describes a role or position that is designed to support a primary function or person.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- She works as an administrative assistant to the CEO.
- The professor's research assistant compiled all the data for the report.
- We need to hire a new assistant for the busy holiday season.
Adjective:
- He was promoted to assistant manager last month.
- The assistant director is responsible for the day-to-day operations on set.
Advanced Usage
"to act as an assistant to someone": to perform the duties of helping a specific person.
- For this project, I will act as an assistant to the lead engineer.
In titles and compound roles: The word is frequently used as part of an official job title to denote a supporting or deputy position.
- Assistant Professor, Assistant Editor, Personal Assistant
Variants and Related Words
Assist (verb): to help or support.
- Can you assist me with this heavy box?
Assistance (noun): the act of helping or the help provided.
- Thank you for your assistance.
Assistant-ship (noun, less common): the position or role of being an assistant.
- She held an assistantship while completing her graduate degree.
Synonyms
- Noun: Aide, helper, supporter, deputy, subordinate, auxiliary.
- Adjective: Auxiliary, subsidiary, supporting, deputy.
Related Phrases
Shop assistant (noun, chiefly British): A person who serves customers in a store. (Note: In American English, "sales clerk" or "retail associate" is more common).
- The shop assistant helped me find the right size.
Teaching assistant (TA) (noun): A graduate student who assists a professor with teaching duties.
- The teaching assistant held office hours to help students with the homework.
Idioms
- Right-hand assistant: A very trusted and indispensable helper.
- She has been my right-hand assistant for years; I couldn't manage without her.
Adjective
- of or relating to a person who is subordinate to another
Noun
- a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
- my invaluable assistant
- they hired additional help to finish the work