tutor
Americannoun
-
tutors
plural
-
a person employed to instruct another in some branch or branches of learning, especially a private instructor.
-
a teacher of academic rank lower than instructor in some American universities and colleges.
-
a teacher without institutional connection who assists students in preparing for examinations.
-
(especially at Oxford and Cambridge) a university officer, usually a fellow, responsible for teaching and supervising a number of undergraduates.
-
the guardian of a boy or girl below the age of puberty or majority.
verb (used with object)
-
tutors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tutored,
past participle, past
-
tutoring
present participle
-
to act as a tutor to; teach or instruct, especially privately.
-
to have the guardianship, instruction, or care of.
-
to instruct underhandedly; coach.
to tutor a witness before he testifies.
-
Archaic.
-
to train, school, or discipline.
-
to admonish or reprove.
-
verb (used without object)
-
tutors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tutored,
past participle, past
-
tutoring
present participle
-
to act as a tutor or private instructor.
-
to study privately with a tutor.
noun
-
a teacher, usually instructing individual pupils and often engaged privately
-
(at universities, colleges, etc) a member of staff responsible for the teaching and supervision of a certain number of students
-
Scots law the guardian of a pupil See pupil 1
verb
-
to act as a tutor to (someone); instruct
-
(tr) to act as guardian to; have care of
-
(intr) to study under a tutor
-
rare (tr) to admonish, discipline, or reprimand
Synonym Usage
See teach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
subtutornoun
-
subtutorshipnoun
-
tutoragenoun
-
tutorshipnoun
-
undertutornoun
-
mistutorverb
-
tutorlessadjective
-
well-tutoredadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
tutorsimple
-
tutorssimple
-
have tutoredperfect
-
has tutoredperfect
-
am tutoringprogressive
-
are tutoringprogressive
-
is tutoringprogressive
-
have been tutoringperfect progressive
-
has been tutoringperfect progressive
Past
-
tutoredsimple
-
had tutoredperfect
-
was tutoringprogressive
-
were tutoringprogressive
-
had been tutoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tutor
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tūtor protector, equivalent to tū- (variant stem of tuērī to guard; see tutelage) + -tor -tor
Explanation
A tutor is someone who gives private instruction: tutors teach one-on-one. If you ever helped someone learn something, you could say you tutored them. "Tutor" is also the title of someone who works with students one-on-one. There are writing tutors, music tutors, math tutors, and history tutors. You can find a tutor for just about anything you'd like to learn. Tutoring also sometimes means being the guardian for someone. In all cases, tutors tend to be helpful to their tutees: the people they tutor.
Vocabulary lists containing tutor
Occupations
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Suffix -or, Part 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Brothers in Hope"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
His martial instinct was further encouraged by his tutor Aristotle’s regard for Homer’s epics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Katherine Leopold, a tutor at Greenwich Business School, echoes this.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Those who used the AI tutor did as well — but no better — than AI-free kids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
He is studying for the the law-school entrance exam so that he can become a test tutor.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
Wednesday and Thursday I tutor Josiah, and Friday night there’s a one-on-one mentoring outing with Maxine.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
As of now, it covers the use of AI tutors, and that is shortsighted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Schools like Meadow Park, in Coventry, are adopting a range of approaches to improve pupils' reading skills, including weekly book club discussions led by tutors.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Obrokta said he offered administrators “an open checkbook” for tutors or other intervention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Michelle Crumm said that when her three children were in high school, they worked part time as tutors and on a golf course.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
He graduated from this part of the course in 1591, second out of a class of fourteen, and moved on to his theological studies described by his tutors as an exceptional student.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Chatty and social, she volunteered in soup kitchens and tutored non-English speakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
I tutored them during the pandemic; it was one of my last jobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Tara started going to chess clubs in Year 2 but is now privately tutored.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025
When I was in high school, I tutored a third-grade student every week at an after-school program in East Harlem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
In the schoolhouse, Mentor, the schoolteacher, gently tutored a mischievous eight-year-old named Gabe, who had neglected his studies to play and now needed help.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
Rodriguez said the College Board in recent years has increasingly partnered with nonprofits to offer free test preparation services, including live online tutoring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Five practices distinguished the most effective: more instructional time, high-dosage tutoring, frequent teacher feedback, data-driven instruction and a culture of high expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
She argues that students at elite institutions can’t understand the real costs of aspects of their education because they do not pay for every tutoring session or sandwich individually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
She applied for her school to participate in Florida’s voucher-like program as a tutoring service and was approved.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
He had never missed a practice or one of the afternoon tutoring sessions Luma made her players attend, she explained.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
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.
