client

7 synonyms and 1 antonym for client, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A person or organisation that pays a professional or firm for services such as legal advice, accountancy, design, consultancy or therapy.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

customer account guest

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

patron node

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

clientele service user

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A person or organisation that pays a professional or firm for services such as legal advice, accountancy, design, consultancy or therapy.

“She takes on three new clients a month.”

customer patron account clientele node guest

2. noun computing

In computing, a program or device that connects to a server to request data or services — such as an email client, a web browser or a game client.

“Download the desktop client to sync your files offline.”

Opposites

server

3. noun social services

A person receiving the services of a social worker, care agency or support service.

“Each caseworker supports around thirty clients.”

service user

How to use client

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

client base new client client relationship client-facing client-server

Neutral in every sense. In business it is slightly more formal than customer.

Etymology

From Latin cliens, a citizen under the protection of a wealthier patron, related to clinare 'to lean'.

Full origin of client →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a client and a customer?

A customer buys a product in a discrete transaction; a client buys ongoing professional services and usually has a continuing relationship. You are a customer at a shop and a client of a solicitor. Some businesses use client simply because it sounds more considered.

What does client mean in computing?

It is the half of a client-server pair that makes requests. Your browser is a client asking a web server for a page; a mail app is a client fetching messages from a mail server. A client is software or a device, not a person, in this sense.

Is client the right word in healthcare?

It depends on the setting. Medical care generally uses patient, while therapy, counselling and social care often prefer client to signal an active, voluntary relationship rather than someone being treated. Some UK services use service user instead.

People also searched

account customer guest server patron node clientele

Nearby words

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