reader

American  

[ree-der] / ˈri dər /

noun

readers plural

1. a person who reads.

2. a schoolbook for instruction and practice in reading.

   a second-grade reader.

3. a book of collected or assorted writings, especially when related in theme, authorship, or instructive purpose; anthology.

   a Hemingway reader; a sci-fi reader.

4. a person employed to read and evaluate manuscripts offered for publication.

5. a proofreader.

6. a person who reads or recites before an audience; elocutionist.

7. a person authorized to read the lessons, Bible, etc., in a church service.

8. a lecturer or instructor, especially in some British universities.

   to be appointed reader in English history.

9. an assistant to a professor, who grades examinations, papers, etc.

10. Computers. a device that reads data, programs, or control information from an external storage medium for transmission to main storage.

11. a machine or device that projects or enlarges a microform image on a screen or other surface for reading.

12. a playing card marked on its back so that the suit or denomination of the card can be identified.

13. Library Science. the user of a library; library patron.

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reader British  

/ ˈriːdə /

noun

1. a person who reads

2. a person who is fond of reading

3. 1. at a university, a member of staff having a position between that of a senior lecturer and a professor

   2. a teaching assistant in a faculty who grades papers, examinations, etc, on behalf of a professor

4. 1. a book that is part of a planned series for those learning to read

   2. a standard textbook, esp for foreign-language learning

5. a person who reads aloud in public

6. a person who reads and assesses the merit of manuscripts submitted to a publisher

7. a person employed to read proofs and indicate errors by comparison with the original copy; proofreader

8. short for lay reader

9. Judaism another word for cantor

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreader
  noun
• subreader
  noun
• underreader
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• readers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reader

before 1000; Middle English reder ( e ), redar ( e ), Old English rǣdere. See read ¹, -er ¹

Explanation

A person who reads, whether they love to read or simply are able to read, is a reader. If you're a fan of a particular author, you're also one of her readers. If you write children's books, you need to keep your readers in mind as you tackle difficult topics or use complicated language. Your readers are all the kids who will be reading the words you write. Another type of reader checks manuscripts for typos, or decides if they're good enough to be published as a book or in a magazine. Students who are learning to read sometimes use a book called a reader for practicing reading skills.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reader readers

Information is given to them and it takes several chapters for the reader, and the character, to understand the significance of that information.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

Dr Yasir Ali, a reader in Transport Modelling at Loughborough University, says e-scooters are "complementary" to other modes of transport, rather than replacing them.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

She adds that a novelist’s job is to care about the reader.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Some sections are written without reference to what came earlier, so explanations are repeated and familiar individuals are introduced as if the reader has never heard of them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

As you know, reader, robots don’t feel emotions.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

His wife wrote in to remind readers of the British tabloid that he was married.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

That's the pitch from a wave of new AI tools letting readers do exactly that.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

At MarketWatch, there are several regular columns through which readers can have their financial questions answered.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The mobile driver’s licenses also can be shown at participating businesses — about 800 — and organizations that have electronic readers to scan the digital licenses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

“Our readers want homestead stories,” he wrote, “not philosophy.”

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson