aide-de-camp

UK/ˌeɪd dɪ ˈkæmp/UK/ˌeɪd dɪ ˈkɒmp/

noun

A military officer who serves as an adjutant to a higher-ranking officer, prince or other high political dignitary.

“Unlike the orderly or batman, a humble low-ranking servant, an aide-de-camp is often a general, who before the institution of the chief of staff could hold a similar position to his chief.”

Similar
adjutantaide
OriginFrench aide de camp →
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Meanings

nounaide-de-camp (plural aides-de-camp)

plural aides-de-camp · alternative ADC · alternative dated aid-de-camp

  1. A military officer who serves as an adjutant to a higher-ranking officer, prince or other high political dignitary.

    Unlike the orderly or batman, a humble low-ranking servant, an aide-de-camp is often a general, who before the institution of the chief of staff could hold a similar position to his chief.

    1 more example

    The police uncovered the plot after recovering information from the phone of Bolsonaro’s former personal secretary, Lt Col Mauro Cid, who served as Bolsonaro’s aide-de-camp during his 2019–2023 presidency.

    2024 November 19, Tiago Rogero, “Brazilian police arrest five over plot to assassinate Lula after 2022 election win”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer

Similar
adjutantaide
Broader
military officerofficer
Also see
adjutantaide

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchaide de camp
  2. Englishaide-de-camp

Unadapted borrowing from French aide de camp, from aide + de (“of”) + camp (“[military] camp”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 副官
  • 副官 (fùguān)military officer
Danish adjunkt
  • adjunktmilitary officer
Dutch vleugeladjudant
  • vleugeladjudantmilitary officer
Esperanto adjutanto
  • adjutantomilitary officer
Finnish adjutantti
  • adjutanttimilitary officer
French aide de camp, adjudant
  • aide de campmilitary officer
  • adjudantmilitary officer
German Flügeladjutant, Aide-de-camp
  • Flügeladjutantmilitary officer
  • Aide-de-campmilitary officer
Greek υπασπιστής
  • υπασπιστής (ypaspistís)military officer
Hebrew שָׁלִישׁ אִישִׁי
  • שָׁלִישׁ אִישִׁי (shalísh ishí)military officer
Japanese 副官
  • 副官military officer
Korean 부관
  • 부관 (bugwan)military officer
Latin optiō
  • optiōmilitary officer
Malay adikong
  • adikongmilitary officer
Norwegian Bokmål adjutant
  • adjutantmilitary officer
Polish adiutant, adiutantka
  • adiutantmilitary officer
  • adiutantkamilitary officer
Portuguese ajudante de campo
  • ajudante de campomilitary officer
Romanian adjutant, aghiotant
  • adjutantmilitary officer
  • aghiotantmilitary officer
Russian адъюта́нт
  • адъюта́нт (adʺjutánt)military officer
Spanish edecán
  • edecánmilitary officer
Turkish yaver
  • yavermilitary officer
Ukrainian ад'юта́нт
  • ад'юта́нт (adʺjutánt)military officer
Cite this entry
APA

aide-de-camp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aide-de-camp

MLA

“aide-de-camp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aide-de-camp. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aide-de-camp,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aide-de-camp.

Source: aide-de-camp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.