# valet

/væˈɫeɪ/ (US) · /vˈæleɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/valet
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. car parking attendant

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a person at a hotel, restaurant, or airport who parks your car for you.

For teachers: an employee at a commercial establishment who takes responsibility for parking and retrieving patrons' vehicles.

- We left our keys with the valet at the front of the hotel.
- The upscale restaurant offers complimentary valet service to ensure that guests do not have to search for parking in the crowded downtown district.

Usage: Often used as a modifier, as in 'valet parking'.

### 2. personal male servant

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a man's personal servant who takes care of his clothes and helps him dress.

For teachers: a male professional attendant responsible for the clothing and personal grooming of his employer.

- In the old movie, the wealthy man asked his valet to prepare his suit.
- The historical drama accurately depicted the role of the valet, who was expected to maintain his employer's wardrobe with meticulous care.

Teaching tip: This sense is mostly found in historical contexts or literature; in modern life, the car-parking sense is much more common.

### 3. to clean a car

verb · CEFR B2 · British English

to clean the inside and outside of a car very thoroughly.

For teachers: to perform a comprehensive cleaning and detailing of a motor vehicle.

- I need to have my car valeted before I try to sell it.
- The dealership offers a service to valet your vehicle, ensuring the upholstery is steam-cleaned and the exterior is polished to a high shine.

Usage: In British English, this is a common transitive verb for professional car cleaning.

### 4. to park a car for someone

verb · CEFR B2 · American English

to leave your car with an attendant so they can park it for you.

For teachers: to utilize a valet service for the parking of a vehicle.

- We decided to valet the car because we were running late for the show.
- Rather than circling the block for twenty minutes, the couple chose to valet their car at the theater entrance.

## Examples

- The valet parked our car right in front of the hotel.
- Upon arriving at the gala, we handed our keys to the valet and walked straight to the entrance.
- In historical dramas, the valet is often depicted as the most trusted confidant of the protagonist, managing everything from his wardrobe to his private correspondence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.