lecturer
Americannoun
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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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Derived Forms
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Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
“He was a symptom of a different era of the relationship and was a product of that time,” said Avishay Ben Sasson-Gordis, senior lecturer in international relations at Tel Aviv University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Von Hagens, an anatomist, lecturer and entrepreneur nicknamed "Dr Death," in the 1970s invented the plastination process, which involves removing water and fat from human and animal tissue and replacing them with chemical compounds.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Surnames have a close connection to identity," says University of Chester lecturer Dr Harry Parkin, who has studied the history of names.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
"The chances of a breakthrough in Rome are quite limited," Karim Bitar, a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
“By the way, I’ve asked Olanna to introduce you to her revolutionary lecturer lover,” Kainene said.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"Do I know if the experienced senior lecturers are going to be there to deliver that programme? Will I get the quality of education that I desire? Will I get the support that I need?"
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
"We just lost that rapport with lecturers when we were meeting on Teams, not in person," she said.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 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
In her preface to “Inhabit the Poem,” she writes that the “popular belief that ‘gatekeepers’—publishers, university lecturers, anthologists, and advertisers—create the longevity of the authors we call ‘canonical’ is false.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
The lecturers were mostly banned members, and I myself frequently gave lectures in the evening.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
