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programmer

American  
[proh-gram-er] / ˈproʊ græm ər /
Or programer

noun

  1. a person who writes code for computer programs.

  2. a person who programs a machine, device, or apparatus.

  3. a person who prepares program schedules, as for radio or television.

  4. a person who prepares instructional programs.

ˈprogrammer British  
/ ˈprəʊɡræmə /

noun

  1. a person who writes a program so that data may be processed by a computer

"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

Etymology

Origin of programmer

First recorded in 1885–90; program + -er 1

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.

The system generated functioning computer code in minutes -- something that would normally take experienced programmers several hours or even days.

From Science Daily

If a programmer can justify throwing Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or Bugs Bunny on the screen, it also leads.

From The Wall Street Journal

She was also a programmer and journalist and worked at an international IT company before volunteering for the army in 2024.

From BBC

At the same time, carriage negotiations with programmers are more fraught, often leading to standoffs where channels are pulled, disrupting service to customers.

From Los Angeles Times

The 29-year-old Tulsa entrepreneur, who runs her own software-design business, Anele, faced growing competition from AI tools and low-cost overseas programmers, which dented her income.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.