What does entourage mean?
An entourage is a group of people — assistants, advisers, friends, bodyguards, or hangers-on — who accompany and attend upon someone important or famous. The word is most often applied to celebrities, politicians, and other high-profile figures: a pop star might arrive at a venue with a large entourage, while a head of state travels with a security entourage. Because it implies that its subject commands attention and service, the term frequently carries an ironic or faintly mocking edge when applied to lesser-known people who act as though they deserve such attention. A rarer, older sense denotes one's surroundings or social milieu, as in an entourage of intellectuals. Borrowed from French in the eighteenth century, from the verb entourer meaning 'to surround', the noun ultimately derives from the Latin root tornare, 'to turn', which also gives English words like tour and detour. The standard plural is entourages.
nounA group of people who attend on and accompany an important or fashionable person; more broadly, one's surroundings or environment.
- A group of attendants or associates who accompany an important person.
- (Rare) One's surroundings or environment.
"The film star arrived at the premiere with an entourage of assistants, stylists, and bodyguards."
"The senator toured the factory with an entourage of aides and journalists."
"In her memoir she describes growing up in an intellectual entourage of artists and writers."
Regular plural; used when referring to the accompanying groups of multiple individuals or to several distinct groups.
"Both rock stars arrived at the festival with rival entourages."
"Entourage" literally means "a surrounding" — your entourage is, quite literally, the circle that turns around you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entourage
Entourage entered English in the mid-eighteenth century, borrowed directly from French, where the noun was formed from the verb entourer, meaning 'to surround' (literally 'to encircle'). The French verb combines en-, an intensive prefix, with tour, meaning 'a turn', which itself comes from the Latin tornare, 'to turn on a lathe'. This same Latin root produced English words including tour, detour, contour, and turn, making them distant relatives of entourage.
How entourage is actually used
The word carries connotations of celebrity, wealth, or power, and is often used slightly ironically to suggest self-importance. The plural 'entourages' is straightforward and regular. In British English the final syllable may be pronounced /-rɑːʒ/ or /-rɪdʒ/; both are accepted.
Easily confused with entourage
'Entrance' refers to a doorway or the act of entering, while 'entourage' refers to the group of attendants surrounding an important person.