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.
That month, a protest was held outside a classroom in Sweeney Hall where a guest lecturer, Jeffrey Blutinger, was speaking about the war.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
"There are certainly factions seriously opposed to the talks and to any compromises with the US," said Yale University lecturer Arash Azizi.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
A lecturer told the Oguntoyes that she knew a set of twin sisters they should meet, which piqued the brothers' interest.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
There is “persistent generational warfare” between boomers and their children, said University of New Hampshire senior economics lecturer Andrew Seal, and the “lack of a real handover.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Capron also wove the sisters’ revelations into existing ideas set forth by yet another man, the well-known clairvoyant lecturer Andrew Jackson Davis, known as the “Poughkeepsie Seer.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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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.