reader

noun

read·​er ˈrē-dər 

1

a

: one that reads

b

: one appointed to read to others: such as

(1)

: lector

(2)

: one chosen to read aloud selected material in a Christian Science church or society

c(1)

: proofreader

(2)

: one who evaluates manuscripts

(3)

: one who reads periodical literature to discover items of special interest or value

d

: an employee who reads and records the indications of meters

e

: a teacher's assistant who reads and marks student papers

2

British : one who reads lectures or expounds subjects to students

3

a

: a device for projecting a readable image of a transparency

b

: an electronic device that scans coded information (as on punch cards or bar codes) for storage or computation

4

a

: a book for instruction and practice especially in reading

b

: anthology

5

readers plural : eyeglasses used for reading or close work : reading glasses

Gilda came back with a pair of readers and, looking through her glasses, gave my eyelids serious consideration.

—Jeanne Ray

Synonyms

• compilation
• anthology

Examples of reader in a Sentence

The book's ending leaves readers to draw their own conclusions.

a magazine with three million readers

Recent Examples on the Web

Tomas Pueyo is the author of Uncharted Territories, a newsletter helping readers understand deeply how the world works today to navigate the world of tomorrow. —Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025

A certain strain of status-curious reader keeps coming back for more. —New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

In response to a spike in dine-and-dash incidents, the restaurant increased the number of cameras and have license plate readers, employee Kristina Moriarty said. —Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

But, after five novels and five smaller companion texts, neither the reader, nor Lyra has learned what Dust actually is. —Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing reader

• e-reader
• lay reader
• mind reader

Rhymes for reader

• bleeder
• breeder
• feeder
• leader
• lieder
• meader
• pleader
• reeder
• seeder
• weeder
• cheerleader
• proofreader

Kids Definition

reader

noun

read·​er ˈrēd-ər 

1

: a person who reads

2

a

: a device that makes a readable image

a microfilm reader

b

: a machine for acquiring data (as for a computer)

a card reader

3

: a book for learning or practicing reading