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Synonyms

teacher

American  
[tee-cher] / ˈti tʃər /

noun

  1. a person who teaches or instructs, especially as a profession; instructor.

teacher British  
/ ˈtiːtʃə /

noun

  1. a person whose occupation is teaching others, esp children

  2. a personified concept that teaches

    nature is a good teacher
"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonteacher noun
  • self-teacher noun
  • teacherless adjective
  • teachership noun
  • underteacher noun

Etymology

Origin of teacher

First recorded in 1250–1300, teacher is from the Middle English word techer. See teach, -er 1

Compare meaning

How does teacher compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

If the guy down the street shows you how to play the guitar and helps you develop a masterful plucking style, then he's your guitar teacher. A teacher is anyone who teaches things. Schools hire people to be teachers, but you don't have to work in a school to be a teacher. You can be a teacher to your children. If you're really good at making pizza, you can be a teacher to an aspiring pizza chef. If you're really passionate about methods of education, then you can become a teacher who teaches teachers how to teach better. Whoa.

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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.

"I've always wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

We were two strangers, our yoga mats a little too close together, already sweating profusely as the yoga teacher instructed us into sun salutations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Caitriona MacMillan, a former primary school teacher, died in Oakeshott House in 2023 after spending the final years of her life there.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Yehuda Bandel, a 70-year-old retired teacher living in a suburb of the coastal city of Tel Aviv, felt the same joy.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

“So the teacher said because I live not too far away I should give her the assignments. And these books.”

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

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.