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payer

American  
[pey-er] / ˈpeɪ ər /

noun

payers plural
  1. a person who pays.

  2. the person named in a bill or note who has to pay the holder.


payer British  
/ ˈpeɪə /

noun

  1. a person who pays

  2. the person named in a commercial paper as responsible for its payment on redemption

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of payer

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at pay 1, -er 1

Compare meaning

How does payer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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:

It estimated that this payer mix shift had an unfavorable impact on income before income taxes of about $400 million during the second quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

HCA estimated that the payer mix shift had an unfavorable impact on income before income taxes of about $400 million during the second quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

That nine-month period cost the tax payer £600m, while the current government supervision regime has cost nearly £400m.

From BBC May 13, 2026

Medicaid is the main payer for nursing homes.

From MarketWatch Apr. 16, 2026

A phone with Caller ID, best friend of the occasionally delinquent bill payer.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

NJ Transit and the governor explained the increased fare for ticket holders was a protective measure so the additional cost isn’t spread across all commuters and New Jersey tax payers.

From Salon Jun. 3, 2026

That equates to 72 cents of every dollar not going to R&D but being extracted from payers and patients who are desperate for more affordable access.

From MarketWatch May 21, 2026

“The onus is definitely on NextEra to show the value proposition and what’s in it for rate payers, and that’s important,” Bartlett said.

From The Wall Street Journal May 19, 2026

Smart meters also show bill payers their own electricity usage in real-time on a small display, providing information on into when they are using more electricity and how much it is costing them.

From BBC Apr. 28, 2026

She’s one of my former Garbage Tax payers.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

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