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
The wretched music alone is worth it, as is Victor Von Doom's henchman, who sounds like a little kid trying to impersonate Dracula.
—
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 25 July 2025
One of his henchmen does but, as is the case in many MCU movies, his identity is revealed by the end of the film.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Think of Hitler’s top henchmen — Hermann Goring, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, Albert Speer, Karl Donitz — all of them as, if not more, fanatical and sadistic than Hitler, eager to carry out his orders, wielding considerable power on their own to wreak havoc and sow destruction.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
The indictment was part of the same case originally filed in Chicago in 2009 against El Chapo himself as well as many of his top henchmen, which is widely considered the largest narcotics case ever brought in Chicago.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
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Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 25 July 2025
One of his henchmen does but, as is the case in many MCU movies, his identity is revealed by the end of the film.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Think of Hitler’s top henchmen — Hermann Goring, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, Albert Speer, Karl Donitz — all of them as, if not more, fanatical and sadistic than Hitler, eager to carry out his orders, wielding considerable power on their own to wreak havoc and sow destruction.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
The indictment was part of the same case originally filed in Chicago in 2009 against El Chapo himself as well as many of his top henchmen, which is widely considered the largest narcotics case ever brought in Chicago.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 7 Aug. 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
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