Standard Lemma guide

client

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈklaɪ.ənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪənt
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AY1 AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A customer, a buyer or receiver of goods or services.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: buyer, customer, patron, purchaser

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The role of a computer application or system that requests and/or consumes the services provided by another having the role of server.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: server

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person who receives help or services from a professional such as a lawyer or accountant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person who employs or retains an attorney to represent him or her in any legal matter, or one who merely divulges confidential matters to an attorney while pursuing professional assistance without subsequently retaining the attorney.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

In ancient Rome, retainers and followers associated with a gens.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Ellipsis of client state.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

Qualifier: international relations

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

(computer science) any computer that is hooked up to a computer network

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: node, guest

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: computer, computing machine, computing device, data processor, electronic computer, information processing system

8

noun

Meaning 8

someone who pays for goods or services

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: customer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: consumer

Narrower terms: buyer, purchaser, emptor, vendee, guest, patron, frequenter, policyholder, shopper, spender, disburser, expender, subscriber, reader, taker, warrantee, whoremaster, whoremonger, john, trick

9

noun

Meaning 9

a person who seeks the advice of a lawyer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: case

History

Etymology

From Middle English client, from Anglo-Norman clyent, Old French client, from Latin cliēns, akin to clinare (“to lean”).

Across languages

Translations

222 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: kliënt — a customer or receiver of services
  • Albanian: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Arabic: زَبُون (zabūn) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Arabic: مُشْتَرٍ (muštarin) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Arabic: زَبون (zabūn) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Armenian: հաճախորդ (hačaxord) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Azerbaijani: müştəri — a customer or receiver of services
  • Belarusian: кліе́нт (klijént) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Belarusian: кліе́нтка (klijéntka) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Bengali: ক্লায়েন্ট (klaẏenṭo) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Bulgarian: клие́нт (kliént) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Bulgarian: клие́нтка (kliéntka) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Bulgarian: мющери́я (mjušteríja) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Bulgarian: мющери́йка (mjušteríjka) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Burmese: ဖောက်သည် (hpauksany) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Catalan: client — a customer or receiver of services
  • Chinese Cantonese: 顧客 /顾客 (gu3 haak3) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Chinese Mandarin: 顧客 /顾客 (gùkè) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Czech: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Czech: klientka — a customer or receiver of services
  • Czech: zákazník — a customer or receiver of services
  • Czech: zákazníce — a customer or receiver of services
  • Danish: kunde — a customer or receiver of services
  • Danish: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Dutch: klant — a customer or receiver of services
  • Dutch: cliënt — a customer or receiver of services
  • Esperanto: kliento — a customer or receiver of services
  • Estonian: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Finnish: asiakas — a customer or receiver of services
  • French: client — a customer or receiver of services
  • French: cliente — a customer or receiver of services
  • Georgian: კლიენტი (ḳlienṭi) — a customer or receiver of services
  • German: Kunde — a customer or receiver of services
  • German: Kundin — a customer or receiver of services
  • German: Klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • German: Klientin — a customer or receiver of services
  • Greek: πελάτης (pelátis) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Greek: πελάτισσα (pelátissa) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hebrew: לָקוֹחַ (lakóakh) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hindi: ग्राहक (grāhak) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hindi: असामी (asāmī) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hindi: मुवक्किल (muvakkil) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hindi: ख़रीदार (xarīdār) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hungarian: ügyfél — a customer or receiver of services
  • Hunsrik: Klïent — a customer or receiver of services
  • Icelandic: viðskiptavinur — a customer or receiver of services
  • Icelandic: kaupandi — a customer or receiver of services
  • Icelandic: kúnni — a customer or receiver of services
  • Icelandic: skjólstæðingur — a customer or receiver of services
  • Ido: kliento — a customer or receiver of services
  • Indonesian: kelayan — a customer or receiver of services
  • Italian: cliente — a customer or receiver of services
  • Japanese: 客 (kyaku) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Japanese: お客さん (o-kyaku-san) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Japanese: 顧客 (kokyaku) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Japanese: クライアント (kuraianto) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Kazakh: клиент (klient) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Khmer: អតិថិជន (ʼaʼtethecŭən) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Khmer: អ្នកទិញ (nĕək tɨñ) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Korean: 손님 (sonnim) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Korean: 고객 (gogaek) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Korean: 고객님 (gogaengnim) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Korean: 객 (gaek) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Northern Kurdish: mişterî — a customer or receiver of services
  • Northern Kurdish: xerîdar — a customer or receiver of services
  • Northern Kurdish: zibûn — a customer or receiver of services
  • Kyrgyz: кардар (kardar) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Kyrgyz: клиент (kliyent) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Lao: ລູກຄ້າ (lūk khā) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Latvian: klients — a customer or receiver of services
  • Latvian: kliente — a customer or receiver of services
  • Lithuanian: klientas — a customer or receiver of services
  • Lithuanian: klientė — a customer or receiver of services
  • Macedonian: клие́нт (kliént) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Macedonian: клие́нтка (kliéntka) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Macedonian: муштерија (mušterija) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Macedonian: муштерика (mušterika) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Malay: pelanggan — a customer or receiver of services
  • Māori: kiritaki — a customer or receiver of services
  • Mongolian: үйлчлүүлэгч (üjlčlüülegč) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Mongolian: зочин (zočin) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Norwegian Bokmål: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kunde — a customer or receiver of services
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kunde — a customer or receiver of services
  • Occitan: client — a customer or receiver of services
  • Pashto: مشتري (moštari) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Pashto: خريدار (xaridār) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Iranian Persian: مُشْتَری (moštari) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Iranian Persian: خَریدار (xaridâr) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Plautdietsch: Kund — a customer or receiver of services
  • Polish: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Polish: klientka — a customer or receiver of services
  • Polish: kupujący — a customer or receiver of services
  • Polish: usługobiorca (service-taker) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Portuguese: cliente — a customer or receiver of services
  • Portuguese: freguês — a customer or receiver of services
  • Romanian: client — a customer or receiver of services
  • Romanian: clientă — a customer or receiver of services
  • Romanian: mușteriu — a customer or receiver of services
  • Russian: клие́нт (klijént) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Russian: клие́нтка (klijéntka) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Russian: зака́зчик (zakázčik) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Russian: зака́зчица (zakázčica) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Serbo-Croatian: клѝјент — a customer or receiver of services
  • Serbo-Croatian: клѝјентица — a customer or receiver of services
  • Serbo-Croatian: муштѐрија — a customer or receiver of services
  • Serbo-Croatian: klìjent — a customer or receiver of services
  • Serbo-Croatian: klìjentica — a customer or receiver of services
  • Serbo-Croatian: muštèrija — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovak: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovak: klientka — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovak: zákazník — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovak: zákazníčka — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovene: odjemalec — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovene: odjemalka — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovene: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Slovene: klientka — a customer or receiver of services
  • Spanish: cliente — a customer or receiver of services
  • Swedish: kund — a customer or receiver of services
  • Tajik: муштарӣ (muštari) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Tajik: мизоҷ (mizoj) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Tajik: харидор (xaridor) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Tatar: клиент (kliyent) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Thai: ลูกค้า (lûuk-káa) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Turkish: müşteri — a customer or receiver of services
  • Turkish: tüketici — a customer or receiver of services
  • Turkmen: müşderi — a customer or receiver of services
  • Turkmen: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Ukrainian: кліє́нт (klijént) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Ukrainian: кліє́нтка (klijéntka) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Urdu: مُشْتَری (muśtarī) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Urdu: خَرِیدار (xarīdār) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Uyghur: خېرىدار (xëridar) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Uzbek: klient — a customer or receiver of services
  • Uzbek: mijoz — a customer or receiver of services
  • Uzbek: xaridor — a customer or receiver of services
  • Uzbek: mushtariy — a customer or receiver of services
  • Venetan: cliente — a customer or receiver of services
  • Vietnamese: khách hàng — a customer or receiver of services
  • Yiddish: קליענט (klient) — a customer or receiver of services
  • Arabic: عَمِيل (ʕamīl) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Azerbaijani: müştəri — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Catalan: client — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 客戶端 /客户端 (kèhùduān) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 用戶端 /用户端 (yònghùduān) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Dutch: client — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Esperanto: kliento — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Finnish: asiakasohjelma (program) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Finnish: asiakas — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • French: client — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • German: Klient — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Hungarian: kliens — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Icelandic: biðlari — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Indonesian: klien — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Japanese: クライアント (kuraianto) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Korean: 클라이언트 (keullaieonteu) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Māori: kiritaki — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Polish: klient — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Portuguese: cliente — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Russian: клие́нт (klijént) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Serbo-Croatian: клѝјент — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Serbo-Croatian: klìjent — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Spanish: cliente — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Swedish: klient — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Thai: ลูกข่าย — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Turkish: istemci — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Ukrainian: кліє́нт (klijént) — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Vietnamese: khách — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Vietnamese: máy khách — computing: the role of a computer application or system
  • Afrikaans: kliënt — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Arabic: عَمِيل (ʕamīl) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Arabic: عَمِيل (ʕamīl) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Bulgarian: дове́реник (dovérenik) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Catalan: client — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Czech: klient — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Dutch: klant — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Dutch: cliënt — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Esperanto: kliento — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Finnish: asiakas — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • French: client — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • German: Klient — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • German: Mandant — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Greek: πελάτης (pelátis) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Ancient Greek: πελάτης (pelátēs) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Ancient Greek: πελάτις (pelátis) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Haitian Creole: kliyan — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Hebrew: לָקוֹחַ (lakóakh) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Hebrew: לקוחה (lakokha) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Hungarian: kliens — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Hungarian: védenc — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Icelandic: skjólstæðingur — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Indonesian: klien — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Indonesian: pelanggan — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Interlingua: cliente — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Italian: cliente — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Malayalam: കക്ഷി (kakṣi) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Norwegian Bokmål: klient — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: klient — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Iranian Persian: اَرْبابِ رُجوع (arbâb-e roju') — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Polish: petent — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Polish: petentka — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Polish: interesant — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Polish: interesantka — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Polish: delikwent — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Polish: delikwentka — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Portuguese: cliente — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Romanian: client — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Russian: клие́нт (klijént) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Russian: клие́нтка (klijéntka) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Serbo-Croatian: клѝјент — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Serbo-Croatian: клѝјентица — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Serbo-Croatian: klìjent — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Serbo-Croatian: klìjentica — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Spanish: cliente — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Tagalog: kliyente — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Telugu: కక్షిదారు (kakṣidāru) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Thai: ลูกค้า (lûuk-káa) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Thai: ลูกความ (lûuk-kwaam) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Turkish: müvekkil — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Ukrainian: кліє́нт (klijént) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
  • Ukrainian: кліє́нтка (klijéntka) — person who receives help or advice from a professional person
Real reading context

client in complete knowledge articles