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.

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user ² American  

[oo-zer] / ˈu zər /

noun

Law.

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

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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

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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

Looming large in the longer term is user growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

"When making tools for chemists, the user interface matters a lot, and previous tools relied on cumbersome filters and rules," says Andres M Bran, the first author of the Synthegy paper published in Matter.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

Meta declined to respond to a Barron’s request for comment on potential impacts these new safety updates could have on user growth.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Making them an authorized user on a parent’s card is a good start, but eventually, they will need to apply for one on their own.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Before Emily could answer, a message from a guest user popped on her screen.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

• addict
• drug abuser
• drug addict
• drug user
• junkie
• narcotics addict