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Synonyms

bodyguard

American  
[bod-ee-gahrd] / ˈbɒd iˌgɑrd /

noun

  1. a person or group of persons employed to guard an individual, as a high official, from bodily harm.

  2. a retinue; escort.


verb (used with or without object)

  1. to provide with or act as a bodyguard.

bodyguard British  
/ ˈbɒdɪˌɡɑːd /

noun

  1. a person or group of people who escort and protect someone, esp a political figure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bodyguard

First recorded in 1725–35; body + guard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If so, he's considered one of his grandfather's most trusted confidantes, having been his personal bodyguard, and more business-orientated than ideological, with no high-level diplomatic experience.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

You become well-acquainted with her stiletto Louboutins and her silent, hunky blond bodyguard.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

Some of the former club employees said that Maples communicated her concerns to Timothy McDaniel, who worked as a bodyguard for the Trump family and oversaw security at their Florida properties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

Xolani says that his brother left South Africa on 8 July, thinking he was going to be trained as a bodyguard for MK.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

Saemi Palsson, Fischer’s old bodyguard, was tracked down at his winter home in the north of Spain.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady