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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.

Ahead of the strikes, social media users -- particularly on Instagram -- on Friday shared safety advice on what to do in the event of explosions or air strikes.

From Barron's

On most online real-estate platforms, users can research an agent’s profile, look at previous clients’ reviews and see their history of actually selling homes.

From MarketWatch

He suggested that determining the AI leader of the future may not come down to a lab’s proprietary training data, but rather the one whose model is best integrated into enterprise and user workflows.

From MarketWatch

Agents are AI systems that act relatively autonomously to carry out tasks on behalf of users.

From The Wall Street Journal

When a user makes a trade or a series of trades that line up with an established scenario, red flags go up.

From Barron's

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.