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Synonyms

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.

programmer 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

Explanation

Someone who writes software or programs for computers is called a programmer. If you develop an application for mobile devices, you can also call yourself a programmer. Programmers use a variety of computer languages to write the code (or instructions) that helps computers do the things their users want them to do. There are programmers who specialize in specific languages which are useful in various industries — some are used by financial institutions and others by scientists, for example. Evidence of the dramatic way things change over time is clear from the shift in this word's meaning: in 1890, a programmer was an "event planner."

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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.

That is a sign of the real threat that AI tools for writing code represent to jobs such as software developer, computer engineer and programmer, posts once considered a near-guarantee of highly paid, stable careers.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Brockman, a prolific programmer and one of OpenAI’s co-founders, was friends with Daniela and began hanging around the group house.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

In any other system, the programmer would have had to rewrite the code and recompile a huge block of the program, maybe even all of it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Austrian programmer Peter Steinberger, who built OpenClaw to help organise his digital life, was hired last month by ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

The anonymous seller claimed to be a former IOI contract programmer and one of the lead architects of its company intranet.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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.