cliënt

Cliënt is a Dutch noun referring to a person or organization that receives professional services from another party. In fields such as law, psychology, consulting, architecture and social work, a cliënt is typically connected to a professional through a formal service relationship. The term often implies ongoing involvement rather than a one‑off transaction and is commonly distinguished from klant, which generally denotes a customer or consumer of goods.

Etymology: the word is borrowed from the French client, ultimately from Latin cliens meaning a dependent or follower. In Dutch orthography it is written as cliënt, with a diacritic on the i to indicate the proper pronunciation.

In information technology, cliënt also describes a computer program or device that accesses a service provided by a server in a client–server model. In this sense the term is related to server, host and networked services.

Usage notes: in professional contexts, the choice between cliënt and klant can reflect the nature of the relationship. A cliënt usually refers to individuals or organizations served by a professional, whereas klant more often denotes a purchaser of goods or standard services. Data protection and privacy practices may apply to information about cliënten under applicable laws and regulations.