factotum
noun
Did you know?
"Do everything!" That's a tall order, but it is exactly what a factotum is expected to do. It's also a literal translation of the Latin phrase fac tōtum: the phrase is usually glossed as "do all!" with the punctuation expressing the force behind the command. (Fac is an imperative form of facere, "to make, do," and tōtum means "the whole, entirety.") When it first appeared in English in the mid-16th century, factotum was frequently paired with other words in such phrases as dominus/domine factotum ("lord/lady" factotum), magister factotum ("master" factotum), and Johannes factotum ("John" factotum), all approximate synonyms of the slightly younger term jack-of-all-trades. While in the past factotum could also be synonymous with meddler and busybody, the word today refers to a handy, versatile sort anyone in need of an assistant might hope for.
Examples of factotum in a Sentence
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Sophie Monks Kaufman is a writer, film-industry factotum and mixed bag of expressive impulses based in London.
—Hazlitt, 14 Jan. 2025
Alberto, who counted with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as his vice-president and de facto factotum of power, executed a delicate balancing act while having to negotiate with both his internal rivals and the opposition coalition, Juntos por el Cambio.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Scorsese reshaped the film’s narrative around DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart, who makes for an unconventional lead — a spineless factotum, alternately loving and loathsome.
—Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for factotum
Cite this Entry
“Factotum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factotum. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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