noun
peon
PEE-ahn/ˈpiːɑːn/
A person of low rank with little authority.
I'm just a peon here, so I can't approve refunds.
Etymology
Latin pedo meant someone going on foot and came to mean a foot soldier. The later sense “day laborer” underlies the modern use for a worker of low rank and little power.
In context
effectively peon soldiers utilized for combat and not much else
More examples
- The director treats everyone below her like a peon.
- Even the lowest peon deserves a voice in these discussions.
- The executives make the rules, and the peons follow them.
Forms
peon · peons
Similar words
- underling
- Emphasizes being subordinate to someone higher in an organization.
- subordinate
- A more neutral term for someone under another person's authority.