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  • harper
    harper
    noun
    a person who plays the harp.
  • Harper
    Harper
    noun
    James, 1795–1869, and his brothers John, 1797–1875, (Joseph) Wesley, 1801–70, and Fletcher, 1806–77, U.S. printers and publishers.
Synonyms

harper

1 American  
[hahr-per] / ˈhɑr pər /

noun

  1. a person who plays the harp.

  2. a person who harps on a subject.

  3. Numismatics. harp.

Harper 2 American  
[hahr-per] / ˈhɑr pər /

noun

  1. James, 1795–1869, and his brothers John, 1797–1875, (Joseph) Wesley, 1801–70, and Fletcher, 1806–77, U.S. printers and publishers.

  2. a male or female given name.

Harper British  
/ ˈhɑːpə /

noun

  1. Stephen ( Joseph ). Born 1959. Canadian statesman; prime minister from 2006

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of harper

before 900; Middle English; Old English hearpere. See harp, -er 1

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.

Mr. Harper is a professor at the University of Oklahoma and the author of “The Last Animal.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

“What happened to my son did not happen in a vacuum,” Michele Wagner, whose son Mitchell Harper died in 2014, said during the sentencing hearing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

We also get a reminder, from Harper, to check the box that keeps a website from selling your information.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

A former featherweight and light-middleweight champion, Harper considered retirement after losing to Sandy Ryan in March 2024.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

"We'll never get Harper to agree," I say, even though I love her idea.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

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.