docent

American  

[doh-suhnt, doh-tsent] / ˈdoʊ sənt, doʊˈtsɛnt /

noun

1. privatdocent.

2. a college or university lecturer.

3. a person who is a knowledgeable guide, especially one who conducts visitors through a museum and delivers a commentary on the exhibitions.

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docent British  

/ ˈdəʊsənt /

noun

1. a voluntary worker who acts as a guide in a museum, art gallery, etc

2. (in the US) a lecturer in some colleges or universities

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Other Word Forms

• docentship noun

Etymology

Origin of docent

1630–40; < German Dozent < Latin docent- (stem of docēns, present participle of docēre ), equivalent to doc- teach + -ent -ent

Example Sentences

"Our findings show that the brain's own defence against amyloid beta can be strengthened by stimulating these receptors," says Per Nilsson, docent at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet.

From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026

I found her nametag from work as a docent in a historical museum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

RR, like other students, created art projects of her animal and also served as a docent for parents and visitors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

The Beach Boys performed there, and stars including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz vacationed there, according to Linda Beal, a volunteer docent at the closed Salton Sea History Museum.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024

The docent giving the class a tour was elderly and thin and looked as if all the juice had been sucked out of him through a straw via his pursed mouth.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng