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Synonyms

trainer

American  
[trey-ner] / ˈtreɪ nər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that trains.

  2. a staff member on an athletic team who gives first aid and therapy to injured players.

  3. a person who trains athletes; coach.

  4. a person who trains racehorses or other animals for contests, shows, or performances.

  5. an airplane or a simulated aircraft used in training train aircrew members, especially pilots.

trainer British  
/ ˈtreɪnə /

noun

  1. a person who trains athletes in a sport

  2. a piece of equipment employed in training, such as a simulated aircraft cockpit

  3. horse racing a person who schools racehorses and prepares them for racing

  4. (plural) an informal name for training shoes

"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 trainer

First recorded in 1590–1600; train + -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.

A couple of weeks ago, hall of fame trainer Bob Baffert said he was moving a couple of his strings to Kentucky rather than running at Santa Anita after this weekend.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Taking "accountability" for his career, he linked up with trainer Ben Davison.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

The Elwood Club at the Pendry Newport Beach hotel in Newport Beach, Calif., for example, gives members access to the hotel’s on-site personal trainer and hosts an annual masquerade party for members only.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

When Basma, the zoo’s lead cheetah trainer, decides that Chase and Finn would make an excellent pair, Finn is skeptical.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

The stewards wanted him to overrule his trainer.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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.