factotum

noun

Definition of factotumnext
as in assistant
formal a person whose job involves doing many different types of work He was the office factotum.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of factotum The system was so rotten that the FBI indicted nine FIFA factotums in 2015—but that was another era. — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2026 Ironically, a hiring surge of factotums has helped push San Diego to the financial brink. — Kate Callen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026 But the ringer is Michael Cera, as Norwegian tutor Bjørn Lund, employed as an all-purpose factotum by the shady, swaggering, death-defying entrepreneur played by Del Toro. — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025 Sophie Monks Kaufman is a writer, film-industry factotum and mixed bag of expressive impulses based in London. — Hazlitt, 14 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for factotum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for factotum
  1. assistant
  2. attendant
  3. servant
  4. steward
Noun
  • Kentucky Boy was conceived of by Old Forester assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo and Woodford Reserve master distiller Elizabeth McCall as a tribute to Morris for his 50th anniversary with Brown-Forman.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Greengart pointed to the Rabbit r1 personal assistant, which lacked distinct use cases from the smartphone and faced technical and hardware issues.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of assistant
Noun
  • Bayona also described enforcement hurdles that Miami code compliance inspectors must overcome, such as being denied entry into condos by front-desk attendants.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The assumed inference is that travelers rely on Google for their travel needs and that informative brochures and knowledgeable attendants are a quaint idea that has outlived its usefulness.
    — Frank Hosek, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of attendant
Noun
  • This is the kind of show where an opulent tea party is dramatized not just by many different plates of fancy pastries, fancy wreaths and lots of furniture, but by having all that stuff carted in by a dozen or so butlers, maids and other servants.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Loyal Maids in Extravagant Mansions While Solana is a disorderly servant, Clarita reflects the trope of the loyal maid of the higher class, the societal expectation in the region.
    — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of servant
Noun
  • This new crop of gadgets, however, asks you to be a more active steward of other people’s privacy.
    — Victoria Song, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
  • All itineraries include an overnight stay, 24-hour steward service, meals with a sommelier’s choice of wine and unlimited soft drinks, and transfers.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of steward

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Cite this Entry

“Factotum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/factotum. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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