peer
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to look narrowly or searchingly, as in the effort to discern clearly.
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to peep out or appear slightly.
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to come into view.
noun
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peers
plural
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a person of the same legal status.
a jury of one's peers.
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a person who is equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background, and social status.
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something of equal worth or quality.
a skyscraper without peer.
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a nobleman.
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a member of any of the five degrees of the nobility in Great Britain and Ireland (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron).
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Computers.
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a network connected to one or more other networks in a way that routes traffic independently between them in a direct exchange of data.
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a computer or device that is connected to others in a network, either directly or through a server.
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Archaic. a companion.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a member of a nobility; nobleman
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a person who holds any of the five grades of the British nobility: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron See also life peer
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a person who is an equal in social standing, rank, age, etc
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( as modifier )
peer pressure
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archaic a companion; mate
verb
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to look intently with or as if with difficulty
to peer into the distance
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to appear partially or dimly
the sun peered through the fog
Synonym Usage
See peep 1.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of peer1
First recorded in 1560–70; perhaps a variant of appear
Origin of peer2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English per, from Old French per, from Latin pār “equal, an equal, partner”
Explanation
A peer is someone at your own level. If you are a 10th grader, other high school students are your peers. Peer comes from the Latin par which means equal. When you are on par with someone, you are their peer. If kids your age are pressuring you to do something you don't want to do, that's peer pressure. In the sport of basketball, Michael Jordan was without peer, no one could equal his talent. When he switched to baseball, he found himself to be among peers again.
Vocabulary lists containing peer
Two-Faced Words: Contronyms
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"Of Mice and Men"
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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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, at one time or other, a senior Conservative politician, a best-selling author, a peer of the realm, and a convicted perjurer.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
As Digger and the president peer out a window, a light flickers.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
“By the time they arrive on campus, they are really looking towards deep, meaningful peer relationships.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The nerve-racking aspect of supposedly derelict shots is that we never know what’s outside the frame, want to peer around the photographic corner, and all the while fear the worst.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Me and Mama had to listen to Mr. Tobin go on and on about the program; how peer counseling is so good, and how it’s required once a kid gets suspended.
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
Despite growing competition from its peers and even its own customers, Nvidia is still the “cornerstone of AI infrastructure,” BNP Paribas analyst Karl Ackerman wrote in a note last week.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
A child so advanced in school he couldn’t relate to his peers.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Although earnings visibility remains lower than peers due to the absence of company-wide guidance and continued weakness in cryptoassets, Jefferies believes these factors are more than priced in at current levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
With unruly hair, round glasses, an affable demeanor and a taste for V-neck sweaters, Amodei is worlds away from the corporate executive archetype -- and seems to be motivated by something his peers are not.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Erma Walker was one of my peers, and boy, she was sharp!
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
