viewer

American  

[vyoo-er] / ˈvyu ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that views.

2. a person who watches television, often a devotee of television or of a particular kind of television program.

   a weekly show aimed at teenage viewers.

3. any of various optical devices to facilitate viewing, view, especially one that is small and boxlike with a magnifying lens, and sometimes a light source, in which a photographic transparency may be viewed.

4. an eyepiece or viewfinder.

5. an official inspector of property, public works, or the like.

---

viewer British  

/ ˈvjuːə /

noun

1. a person who views something, esp television

2. any optical device by means of which something is viewed, esp one used for viewing photographic transparencies

3. law a person appointed by a court to inspect and report upon property, etc

---

Other Word Forms

• nonviewer noun
• underviewer noun
• viewership noun

Etymology

Origin of viewer

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; view, -er ¹

Example Sentences

“Ready or Not 2” and “They Will Kill You” supply their characters with almost inhuman agency and dexterity because they reflect a moment when the viewer desperately wishes they could have those things, too.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Coppola builds to a big finish that allows any viewer off the street to be enamored with the garments before them.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Guthrie’s re-entry on “Today” is certain to generate significant viewer interest.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

It’s still an expansive saga, though a graceless opening had this viewer pining for the 2024 French version with Pierre Niney as Edmond Dantès.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

She sat erect there, lifting up in the direction of the viewer a solid fur muff into which her entire forearm disappeared.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

Related Words

• observer
• onlooker
• spectator
• watcher