teacher
Americannoun
noun
-
a person whose occupation is teaching others, esp children
-
a personified concept that teaches
nature is a good teacher
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of teacher
First recorded in 1250–1300, teacher is from the Middle English word techer. See teach, -er 1
Compare meaning
How does teacher compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If the guy down the street shows you how to play the guitar and helps you develop a masterful plucking style, then he's your guitar teacher. A teacher is anyone who teaches things. Schools hire people to be teachers, but you don't have to work in a school to be a teacher. You can be a teacher to your children. If you're really good at making pizza, you can be a teacher to an aspiring pizza chef. If you're really passionate about methods of education, then you can become a teacher who teaches teachers how to teach better. Whoa.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As football fans flood into tournament co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico, the Central American country is grappling with chaotic teacher protests in its capital.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Analysis by BBC Scotland News has revealed that more than 4,000 spaces on the secondary postgraduate teacher training course, the PGDE, have not been filled in the past nine years.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Now that Esquivel is graduating, she will enroll at East Los Angeles College to complete the requirements necessary to become a lead teacher.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Louise Moir says the introduction of a four-day week for schools is one of the options that needs to be discussed in an effort to tackle teacher shortages.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Without waiting, she stood up and went to the teacher and said something to her.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
