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lecturer

American  
[lek-cher-er] / ˈlɛk tʃər ər /

noun

  1. a person who lectures.

  2. an academic rank given in colleges and universities to a teacher ranking below assistant professor.


lecturer British  
/ ˈlɛktʃərə /

noun

  1. a person who lectures

  2. a teacher in higher education without professorial status

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of lecturer

First recorded in 1560–70; lecture + -er 1

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Explanation

A lecturer is someone who stands up in front of a class and gives an organized talk designed to teach you something. There are lots of lecturers at colleges and universities. Although many professors lecture, in this country the title lecturer usually refers to a teacher who is not a permanent member of the faculty but one of the many college instructors who does not have tenure. The lecturer may even be hired for a single semester or year. The title is used slightly differently in England. There are some professional lecturers — people, like former President Bill Clinton, who make their living by going around the world giving speeches.

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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.

When Bregman was announced as the 2025 Reith Lecturer, the BBC said his series, titled Moral Revolution, would "delve into the current 'age of immorality', exploring a growing trend for unseriousness among elites".

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

Malin Holst, a Senior Lecturer in Osteoarchaeology at the University of York, said in 30 years of analysing skeletons she had "never seen anything like these bite marks".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

In recent years, Hussain has served as an educator in residence at Princeton University and Stanford University and, in 2015, was appointed Regents Lecturer at UC Berkeley, his family’s statement said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024

Dr Reza Bradrania, Senior Lecturer of Finance and member of UniSA's Centre for Markets, Values and Inclusion, says studies in psychology have shown that weather has a significant effect on human moods and behaviour.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

He also was the Golden Lecturer somewhere near the Bank—an appropriate locality. 

From Christopher Crayon's Recollections The Life and Times of the late James Ewing Ritchie as told by himself by Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)