bartender

1 of 2

noun

bar·​tend·​er ˈbär-ˌten-dər How to pronounce bartender (audio)
Synonyms of bartendernext
: a person who serves drinks at a bar
bartend
ˈbär-ˌtend How to pronounce bartender (audio)
intransitive verb

bartend

2 of 2

intransitive verb

bar·​tend ˈbär-ˌtend How to pronounce bartend (audio)
-ed/-ing/-s
: to act as a bartender especially professionally

Examples of bartender in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Their centerpiece invention is a robotic, AI-powered bartender that includes talk interaction and can serve hundreds of drinks. — Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Most players, though, are juggling university studies or moonlight as bartenders, firefighters and architects to support their athletic dreams. — Jaclyn Licht, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026 The Uncut Gems actress and model offers Owen some sage advice — and offers to sleep with him — as a bartender working at NYC’s White Horse Tavern. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Aug. 2026 And the bartender at La Rotonde Bar for taking the time to tell us about the bar's history, despite having other clients to serve. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bartender

Word History

Etymology

Intransitive verb

back-formation from bartender

First Known Use

Noun

1825, in the meaning defined above

Intransitive Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bartender was in 1825

Rhymes for bartender

See All Rhymes for bartender

Browse Nearby Words

bartend
bartender
bartendress
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bartender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bartender. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bartender

noun
bar·​tend·​er ˈbär-ˌten-dər How to pronounce bartender (audio)
: a person who serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
bartend
ˈbär-ˌtend How to pronounce bartender (audio)
verb

More from Merriam-Webster on bartender

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bartender

Nglish: Translation of bartender for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All