Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

trainer

American  
[tray-ner] / ˈtreɪ nər /

noun

  • trainers
    plural
  1. a person or thing that trains.

  2. a staff member on an athletic team who gives first aid and therapy to injured players.

  3. a person who trains athletes; coach.

  4. a person who trains racehorses or other animals for contests, shows, or performances.

  5. an airplane or a simulated aircraft used in training aircrew members, especially pilots.


trainer British  
/ ˈtreɪnə /

noun

  1. a person who trains athletes in a sport

  2. a piece of equipment employed in training, such as a simulated aircraft cockpit

  3. horse racing a person who schools racehorses and prepares them for racing

  4. (plural) an informal name for training shoes

"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

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of trainer

First recorded in 1590–1600; train + -er 1

Explanation

A trainer is someone who teaches or coaches someone, like the trainer at the gym who promises that she'll have you ready to run a marathon in four months. Some trainers can teach you how to do sit ups, while others can instruct you to program a computer or be an effective leader. Dog trainers teach dogs to follow commands — and they teach dog owners to give commands effectively. The noun trainer comes from the verb train, "to discipline or teach," from an earlier sense, "to manipulate to bring a desired form," the way a gardener trains a rose to grow up a trellis.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

See Examples For:

Madison Hildreth, 28, a fitness trainer in Austin, Texas, keeps 8-pound dumbbells in her room for this express purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Katie Suiters, a 38-year-old media trainer in McLean, Va., decided to upgrade to the Venture X card after she noticed more Capital One lounges at airports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

He covered his face with his left hand and was able to jog toward the Cubs dugout, where a trainer helped him down the steps and into the clubhouse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

He said he hopes to be a dog trainer and groomer if he is released from prison—he’ll be 98 when his sentence ends—and he asked me to apologize to the Roebucks.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

War Admiral’s trainer, George Conway, lingered by his horse’s stall.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Groppo highlighted the enthusiasm among a new male audience for Chanel ready-to-wear, including "loafers, trainers, blazers and bags".

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Asia military specialist Carl Thayer warned against alarmism, noting that the Ban Keun site could only support light aircraft and military trainers for now.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

But his team of trainers had a hunch that he might have another year in him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

On the TV broadcast, USC trainers were seen looking closely at his knee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Rival trainers who claimed horses from Irwin sometimes found them so exhausted that they had to give them long layoffs before they were capable of running again.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com