Yeoman

/ˈjəʊ.mən/ name, noun

name, noun ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household, ranking between a squire and a page. Especially, a yeoman of the guard, a member of a ceremonial bodyguard to the UK monarch (not to be confused with a Yeoman Warder).
  • Grammar: yeoman is listed as name, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: agrarian, agriculturalist, agriculturist, agrologist.
  • Useful contrasts: aristocratic, careless, civilian.
  • Usage evidence: He had a yeoman, but no other servants at that time, because it pleased him to ride that way.

How to use "yeoman"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "yeoman" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. 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 "yeoman" 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 "yeoman" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "yeoman" 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 "yeoman" is acting as name, noun 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 "agrarian" 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 "yeoman", 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. 1
    An official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household, ranking between a squire and a page. Especially, a yeoman of the guard, a member of a ceremonial bodyguard to the UK monarch (not to be confused with a Yeoman Warder). UK
  2. 2
    in former times was free and cultivated their own land wordnet
  3. 3
    A dependable, diligent, or loyal worker or someone who does a great service. US
  4. 4
    officer in the (ceremonial) bodyguard of the British monarch wordnet
  5. 5
    A former class of small freeholders who farm their own land; a commoner of good standing. historical

    "This model of production costs might alternatively be derived from a yeoman farmer model, in which households supply goods directly[.]"

Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    A subordinate, deputy, aide, or assistant.
  2. 7
    A Yeoman Warder.
  3. 8
    A clerk in the US Navy, and US Coast Guard.
  4. 9
    In a vessel of war, the person in charge of the storeroom.
  5. 10
    A member of the Yeomanry Cavalry, officially chartered in 1794 originating around the 1760s.
  6. 11
    A member of the Imperial Yeomanry, officially created in 1890s and renamed in 1907.
  7. 12
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Cirrochroa, of Asia and Australasia.
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname originating as an occupation. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A town in Jefferson Township, Carroll County, Indiana, United States. countable, uncountable

Example

"He had a yeoman, but no other servants at that time, because it pleased him to ride that way."

Common questions

What does "yeoman" mean?

An official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household, ranking between a squire and a page. Especially, a yeoman of the guard, a member of a ceremonial bodyguard to the UK monarch (not to be confused with a Yeoman Warder).

What is a synonym for "yeoman"?

Common synonyms include: agrarian, agriculturalist, agriculturist, agrologist, agronomist, airline hostess.

How do you use "yeoman" in a sentence?

He had a yeoman, but no other servants at that time, because it pleased him to ride that way.

How do you pronounce "yeoman"?

Pronounced /ˈjəʊ.mən/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English yoman, yeman, from Old English *ġēamann, from Proto-West Germanic *gauwjamann (compare Old Frisian gāman (“villager”), Middle High German göuman (“peasant”)), compound of Proto-West Germanic *gawi (“shire, district”) (compare Old English -ġē, -ġēa (“district, region”) (in ælġē, Sūþriġēa), West Frisian gea, goa, Dutch gouw, German Gau) + *mann (“man”).

Etymology 2

From yeoman.

More for "yeoman"