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Synonyms

user

1 American  
[yoo-zer] / ˈyu zər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that uses.

  2. a person who is addicted to or abuses a controlled substance or alcohol; one who uses illegal or addictive drugs, as in

  3. Digital Technology. a person who uses a computer, device, or application.

    This interface should be more intuitive for users.
user 2 American  
[oo-zer] / ˈu zər /

noun

Law.

  1. the exercise of a right to the enjoyment of property.

user British  
/ ˈjuːzə /

noun

  1. law

    1. the continued exercise, use, or enjoyment of a right, esp in property

    2. a presumptive right based on long-continued use

      right of user

  2. (often in combination) a person or thing that uses

    a road-user

  3. informal a drug addict

"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

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; use, -er 1

Origin of user2

Noun use of Anglo-French user to use

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.

Another frustrated user described the Kindle as "probably one of the most low-tech devices ever made" and queried why Amazon was discontinuing its support for it.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

OpenAI expects its costs for training and inference, the latter refers to the process by which AI models respond to user queries, to exceed its revenue until 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

One user on the social platform X told us they waited until age 34 to start investing, losing out on over a decade’s worth of potential gains.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

For a user, it feels broadly similar to ChatGPT.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

One user, CaptainOverpants, claimed to work in Mr. Griswold’s hospital and said that Mr. Griswold was still in a coma and had been secretly moved to hospice care because he was dying.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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.