viewer

American  

[vyoo-er] / ˈvyu ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that views.

2. a person who watches television, often a devotee of television or of a particular kind of television program.

   a weekly show aimed at teenage viewers.

3. any of various optical devices to facilitate viewing, view, especially one that is small and boxlike with a magnifying lens, and sometimes a light source, in which a photographic transparency may be viewed.

4. an eyepiece or viewfinder.

5. an official inspector of property, public works, or the like.

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viewer British  

/ ˈvjuːə /

noun

1. a person who views something, esp television

2. any optical device by means of which something is viewed, esp one used for viewing photographic transparencies

3. law a person appointed by a court to inspect and report upon property, etc

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Other Word Forms

• nonviewer noun
• underviewer noun
• viewership noun

Etymology

Origin of viewer

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; view, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Across both transmissions it had almost twice as many viewers as the first moon landing when it broadcast.

From BBC

“Hamnet” is not a movie that seeks to bore into the viewers’ hearts, drawing out empathy from the depths of their souls; it’s a film that wants the audience to do all of the work.

From Salon

It’s unfortunate that the final season seems more of a chore than a holiday treat for loyal viewers, but by this point, “Stranger Things” appears bulletproof, regardless of quality.

From MarketWatch

But to some viewers, his questioning nature might make him seem like an imperfect messenger for stories about the ultimate symbols of faith.

From The Wall Street Journal

And he never knew that, unlike the verdict of an early viewer who dismissed his paintings as “mere legerdemain,” today they are seen as magical in a positive sense.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• observer
• onlooker
• spectator
• watcher