lecturer
Americannoun
-
a person who lectures.
-
an academic rank given in colleges and universities to a teacher ranking below assistant professor.
noun
-
a person who lectures
-
a teacher in higher education without professorial status
Other Word Forms
- sublecturer noun
Etymology
Origin of lecturer
Compare meaning
How does lecturer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Education and Academics, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Tom Nunan, a lecturer at UCLA’s film school and a former president at TV network UPN, credits MTV’s “The Real World” as a pioneer for this kind of TV.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Like many researchers, Dr. Luke Turnock, a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Lincoln in the U.K., warns against taking peptides since we don’t know their short- or long-term effects.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
Since leaving the central bank in 2011, Warsh has, among other things, served as a lecturer at Stanford University’s business school and as a visiting fellow at the university’s Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Clive Hambler, a lecturer in biological and human sciences at the University of Oxford, told PA there were "hardly any consequences from spider bites in Britain" 50 years ago.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Marina’s work as a lecturer at the Zhukovsky Academy made international news.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
