geographer
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of geographer
1535–45; < Late Latin geōgraph ( us ) (< Greek geōgráphos, equivalent to geō- geo- + gráphos a writer; see -graph) + -er 1
Explanation
A geographer specializes in the study of the earth's surface and what happens there, such as changes in landforms, population centers, or environmental interactions. Geography is a common subject studied in schools, from elementary school through college. Those who make it their career, though, are the true geographers. They may write textbooks about geography, or work in the field doing a variety of things. Some geographers collect and analyze satellite data about the earth's surface. Some study human patterns of migration and settlement. Others study landforms, climate, the water cycle, and other natural processes. If it's about what happens on the earth, it's related to a geographer's work.
Vocabulary lists containing geographer
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.
"If Europeans are involved in one way or another, it is a small victory for them," said Sylvain Domergue, a geographer specialising in maritime security.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
In the early 1900s, British geographer Halford Mackinder described Eurasia and Africa as a single strategic landmass he called the “world-island.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
To Maxim Samson, a geographer, desire paths are small acts of disobedience, “a sign of defiance against inflexible design.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
In his book Bourbon Street: A History, Tulane University geographer Richard Campanella documents how the street diversified in recent decades, including an increase in Black patronage since Hurricane Katrina.
From Slate • Jan. 7, 2025
Eratosthenes, in a lost work quoted by the Roman-era geographer Strabo, wrote that of the kingdom of the pharaohs “there was a common saying: ‘The way to Egypt is long and vexatious.’..
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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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.