noun
Refers to a person who accompanies and serves a leader, lord, or important figure; somewhat formal and historical in tone, often used in contexts of retinues or entourages.
王の随従者たちが行列を作った。
The king's attendants formed a procession.
彼は将軍の随従者として戦場に赴いた。
He went to the battlefield as a retainer of the general.
家来 is a historical term for a samurai's retainer or vassal, implying a stronger master-servant relationship than 随従者.
Compound of 随従 (ずいじゅう, 'following, attending') + 者 (しゃ, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji composition transparently conveys the meaning.