henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən 
plural henchmen
1
a
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c
: a member of a gang
2
obsolete
: a squire or page to a person of high rank
Did you know?
The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."
Examples of henchman in a Sentence
a gangster surrounded by his henchmen
Recent Examples on the Web
Raq is a master manipulator who claims to value loyalty above all else, especially from her henchmen brothers Marvin (London Brown) and Lou (Malcolm Mays) and her only son, yet constantly destabilizes the three of them with selfish mind games and power plays that genuinely harm them.
—
Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
One whack and the burly guard or crime boss henchman is knocked out for the rest of the caper.
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Musk's henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
When Posey is dropped into the mainstream, her most intriguing qualities are often cast as lightly villainous: girlboss vampire, dog-lady henchman.
—Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
One whack and the burly guard or crime boss henchman is knocked out for the rest of the caper.
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Musk's henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
When Posey is dropped into the mainstream, her most intriguing qualities are often cast as lightly villainous: girlboss vampire, dog-lady henchman.
—Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Articles Related to henchman
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
henchman
noun
hench·man
ˈhench-mən
1
: a trusted follower
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share