What does "usher" mean?
A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
Usher
/ˈʌʃəɹ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
- Grammar: usher is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: guide, accompany, airline hostess, airline stewardess.
- Useful contrasts: bystander, conclusion, deny.
- Usage evidence: Recent advances in medicine will usher in a new age in medical care.
How to use "usher"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "usher" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "usher" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "usher" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "usher" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "usher" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "guide" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "usher", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
- 2 someone employed to conduct others wordnet
- 3 A male escort at a wedding.
- 4 an official stationed at the entrance of a courtroom or legislative chamber wordnet
- 5 A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An assistant to a head teacher or schoolteacher; an assistant teacher. obsolete
"[H]e defrayed the expence of his entrance, and left him in the particular care and inspection of the usher, who […] though obliged by the scandalous administration of fortune to act in the character of an inferior teacher, had by his sole capacity and application, brought the school to that degree of reputation which it never could have obtained from the talents of his superior."
- 7 Any schoolteacher. dated, derogatory
Verb
- 1 To guide people to their seats. transitive
"Her entrance into church on Sunday is always the signal for a little bustle in the side aisle, occasioned by a general rise among the poor people, who bow and curtsey until the pew-opener has ushered the old lady into her accustomed seat, dropped a respectful curtsey, and shut the door;"
- 2 take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums wordnet
- 3 To accompany or escort (someone). transitive
"[N]ay he can ſing / A meane moſt meanely, and in huſhering, / Mende him who can[.]"
- 4 To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald. figuratively, transitive
"Thus the Harvard poets and wits ushered The New England Courant out of existence."
- 5 To lead or guide somewhere. figuratively, transitive
"McCoist unexpectedly ushered back a defender of his own with Kirk Broadfoot taking over from Steven Whittaker. There was, of course, another change, Kyle Bartley stepping in at centre-half to replace suspended Dorin Goian."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname originating as an occupation for an usher. countable, uncountable
- 2 A suburb of Bunbury, Western Australia. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Recent advances in medicine will usher in a new age in medical care."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "usher"?
Common synonyms include: guide, accompany, airline hostess, airline stewardess, attend, attendant.
How do you use "usher" in a sentence?
Recent advances in medicine will usher in a new age in medical care.
How do you pronounce "usher"?
Pronounced /ˈʌʃəɹ/.
Etymology
From Middle English ussher, uscher, usscher, from Anglo-Norman usser and Old French ussier, uissier (“porter, doorman”) (compare French huissier), from Vulgar Latin *ustiārius (“doorkeeper”), from Latin ōstiārius, from ōstium (“door”). Akin to ōs (“mouth”). Probably a doublet of ostiary and huissier.