client
Client (noun) means a person or organisation that pays a professional or firm for services such as legal advice, accountancy, design, consultancy or therapy. Example: “She takes on three new clients a month.”
How to use client
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who pays for professional services, or a program that connects to a server.
Neutral in every sense. In business it is slightly more formal than customer.
Client-facing means dealing with clients directly. It is hyphenated before a noun: a client-facing role.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She takes on three new _____ a month.
Etymology
From Latin cliens, a citizen under the protection of a wealthier patron, related to clinare 'to lean'.
Related words
Rhymes for 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.
What is the meaning of client?
"client" (noun) means a person or organisation that pays a professional or firm for services such as legal advice, accountancy, design, consultancy or therapy.