user
1 Americannoun
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a person or thing that uses.
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a person who is addicted to or abuses a controlled substance or alcohol; one who uses illegal or addictive drugs, as in
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Digital Technology. a person who uses a computer, device, or application.
This interface should be more intuitive for users.
noun
noun
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law
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the continued exercise, use, or enjoyment of a right, esp in property
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a presumptive right based on long-continued use
right of user
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(often in combination) a person or thing that uses
a road-user
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informal a drug addict
Usage
What is a user? A user is someone or something that employs or puts someone or something into service, as in The instructions are written for users of the microwave. In technology, a user is the person who uses a particular piece of hardware (such as a computer) or software (such as a website or app), as in Users complain about frequent updates. User can also refer to someone who regularly takes illegal or addictive drugs. (The verb use can mean to regularly take such drugs, as in I stopped using five years ago.)Example: The user should be able to send and receive messages quickly.
Etymology
Origin of user1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English usere; see use, -er 1
Origin of user2
Noun use of Anglo-French user to use
Explanation
A user is someone who employs or uses a particular thing, like a user of nicotine or a user of an internet site. Since you are reading this, you are a user of Vocabulary.com. Congrats! To use something is to employ it or operate it, so a user is someone who uses or takes advantage of something. If you have a computer and use it for anything, you're a computer user. If you play a video game, you're a video game user. As you can see, this word often applies to technology. That's why they call the first part of a login the username. The people who design technology always have to keep the users in mind; it's important to make tech gadgets that are user-friendly.
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.
Every pair of glasses with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when the user takes a photo or video and it can’t be turned off, a spokesperson for Meta said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
“So many businesses are closing down right now and everything keeps getting more expensive,” one user commented on the Victorian’s Instagram post, adding, “Sad seeing legendary places like this disappear.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Downdetector Russia, a website that monitors internet outages, showed a large spike in user complaints beginning in the early hours of Thursday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“They probably got over their skis in terms of monetizing the platform at the detriment to user experience, and they’ve reset the growth plan and pivoted back to focusing on user experience,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The user apparently laid the tip of the spear shaft in the flute and twisted hide or sinew repeatedly around the assembly to hold it together.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
