lecturer
Americannoun
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lecturers
plural
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a person who lectures.
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an academic rank given in colleges and universities to a teacher ranking below assistant professor.
noun
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a person who lectures
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a teacher in higher education without professorial status
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Etymology
Origin of lecturer
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing lecturer
Ancient Greece, Lessons 1–3
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Education and Academics, List 2
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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.
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“Loneliness is so connected to mental and physical health that it’s consequential,” said Richard Weissbourd, senior lecturer and faculty director for the Making Caring Common Project, a program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
"I don't think she necessarily has to get rid of him," said Marta Lorimer, lecturer in politics at Cardiff University.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
“It’s an integral story to British identity. That’s why people feel an emotional attachment to it,” said Daisy Dixon, a philosophy of art lecturer at the University of Cardiff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Consultant gynaecologist Dr Lucky Saraswat, an honorary senior lecturer at the university, and lead for Aberdeen Endometriosis Centre at NHS Grampian, is heading the study.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
A lecturer from a Court near the coast explains how things wither and die.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
In June, about 70% of voting non-tenure-track faculty approved unionizing under United Faculty-UAW, which seeks to represent roughly 2,700 USC lecturers, researchers, clinicians, librarians and pharmacists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The USC union, United Faculty-UAW, represents roughly 2,700 non-tenure-track faculty across more than 20 schools and the USC libraries, including lecturers, researchers, clinicians, librarians and pharmacists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
A 22-year-old Kabul University student said lecturers "have warned us... that if we don't have a proper Islamic appearance, which includes beards and head covering, they will deduct our marks".
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
She said this work was being carried out "in collaboration" with students, teachers, and colleges lecturers along with training providers and industry.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
Some trance mediums, like Fanny Davis and Cora Hatch, became famous public lecturers.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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