architect
Americannoun
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a person who engages in the profession of architecture.
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a person professionally engaged in the design of certain large constructions other than buildings and the like.
landscape architect; naval architect.
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the deviser, maker, or creator of anything.
the architects of the Constitution of the United States.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a person qualified to design buildings and to superintend their erection
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a person similarly qualified in another form of construction
a naval architect
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any planner or creator
the architect of the expedition
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of architect
1555–65; < Latin architectus < Greek architéktōn, equivalent to Greek archi- archi- + tektōn builder, craftsman
Explanation
A person who designs buildings is an architect. If you become an architect, you'll be responsible for drawing the blueprints, planning the work, and sometimes even overseeing the construction of a building. Frank Lloyd Wright was a famous architect who helped complete over 500 projects in his lifetime, including private homes, skyscrapers, museums, churches, and schools. Architects work on buildings of all types, and the Greek root arkhitektōn literally means “chief builder.” An architect can construct other things too, like the architects who design a video game, or the architect of your misfortune who dumped green slime on your head at a school dance.
Vocabulary lists containing architect
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Play by the Rules: Arch
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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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.
"He's a bit of a frustrated architect, and so he had a lot to say about the way the building was designed," she said.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
That home, which was built by architect Rex Lotery in 1965, was snapped up for $9 million just a few months before he sold his original dwelling.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
William Swan, golf course architect for Swan Golf Designs, says the suggestion that some older courses require a redesign needs to be taken "seriously".
From BBC • May 28, 2026
“It can create videos that are very, very high level, and you can interact with that video afterwards,” said Koray Kavukcuoglu, Google’s chief AI architect and chief technology officer of the company’s DeepMind unit.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
The Tribune said Root was “easily” Chicago’s “most distinguished architect, if indeed he had his superior in the whole country.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
