listener

American  

[lis-uh-ner] / ˈlɪs ə nər /

noun

• listeners
  plural

1. someone who gives attention with the ear, especially for the purpose of hearing specific sounds, speech, instructions, etc..

   At story time, you may choose to be a reader or a listener.

2. someone who listens to a radio broadcast or to a specific radio program.

   They attract teenage listeners with pop songs about first love.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• listeners
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of listener

First recorded in 1600–20; listen ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

listener listeners

Dahlia Lithwick: We got the next question from a listener.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

A college dropout, Adams was inspired to start working in public radio after encountering “All Things Considered” as a listener.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

The effort comes after legendary music mogul Jimmy Iovine said music streaming services were "minutes away from being obsolete", because they don't foster a connection between the listener and the music.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

I have used AI to work on this capacity, and to become, well, if not exactly the world’s greatest listener, maybe 10% less bossy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

And being able to "see the big picture" does help the listener enjoy the music even more.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Both of the releases successfully accomplish their goals and deliver a worthwhile experience for interested listeners, but follow different paths to reach their respective sonic destinations.

From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026

"Though the chatbots often made mistakes, they also behaved as sympathetic listeners to skeptical users -- while still refusing to endorse conspiracy theories," the center said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

Pearson believes the rewatch discussions resonate with listeners because the shows of the 1990s and early 2000s thrived when the viewers had the shared experience of watching a show at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

"Music is a vital element of our cultural lifeblood, and we can't wait to welcome 6 Music listeners to learn more about how vibrant the city has become."

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

They estimated that between 1.5 million and 2 million of these listeners believed they were hearing actual news.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

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Related Words

• audience

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