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

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Etymology

Origin of reader

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

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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

A child who has trouble reading is not necessarily less intelligent or incapable of becoming a strong reader.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

It doesn’t capture the fact that your reader and your viewer and your listener are shocked and possibly outraged and really struggling with what’s going on.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

Rather than resolving the tension, Dostoevsky forces the reader to sit with this ambiguity, allowing the scene to stand as the ultimate test of the novel’s moral equilibrium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Several cities, the largest of which is Denver, have signed contracts with Axon or other plate reader companies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

“Maybe,” she said, looking up and forcing a weak smile, “we could have a guest reader, just for today?”

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Lovesick residents turn to tarot readers to discover their romantic fate, or perform love rituals rooted in African religious traditions brought to Brazil by slaves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

What encourages her, and she offers to readers, is poetry and other literature, which “gives us the encouragement to stay grounded.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

There’s usually another emotional issue embedded in questions like this one that I get from readers, and that is that we all think we’re doing things wrong when it comes to our finances.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

And over the past several months, I’ve received a handful of emails from readers asking what packaged, prepared and otherwise convenient foods I actually buy.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Skeeter refuses to give any more away on this intriguing subject, so we turn instead to the relationship that will undoubtedly fascinate her readers more than any other.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

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