farmer

noun

farm·​er ˈfär-mər How to pronounce farmer (audio)
1
: a person who pays a fixed sum for some privilege or source of income
2
: a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals (such as livestock or fish)
3

Examples of farmer in a Sentence

My uncle has been a farmer for 60 years. a young farmer whose family has been growing wheat for many generations
Recent Examples on the Web The lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court in South Carolina, which were brought by farmers and several states, seek to make the government pay for the water and property contamination the DOD allegedly caused. Zoya Teirstein / Grist, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 The lyrics dealt with social issues, the poverty of rural farmers and the disappearances of people the government considered undesirable. Beverly Bryan, SPIN, 14 Mar. 2024 Lewandowski, a chef who moved there from Amsterdam in 2022, arranges vegetables from the local farmers’ market and their property’s 10-acre garden — tomatoes, treviso radicchio, haricots verts, scallions — directly onto white tablecloths to kaleidoscopic effect. Alexa Brazilian Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The state's agricultural commissioner also told CBS News that thousands of heads of cattle have died in the fires, threatening to force many ranchers and farmers off their land completely. Li Cohen, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Chef Derek McCann stopped by to share his passion for fresh, local ingredients from their cooperative of regenerative farmers. Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024 Fortunately, with spring already on its way, farmers' market season is fast approaching with plenty of opportunities for purchasing fresh peppers. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 Early in February, farmers and truckers clogged main roads into Paris, enraged by President Macron’s crackpot climate program. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 7 Mar. 2024 While government efforts have helped, the work is driven largely through the efforts of farmers who have formed cooperatives to share equipment and expertise. Tom Watkins, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'farmer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of farmer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near farmer

Cite this Entry

“Farmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farmer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

farmer

noun
farm·​er ˈfär-mər How to pronounce farmer (audio)
: a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals

Biographical Definition

Farmer 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Far·​mer ˈfär-mər How to pronounce Farmer (audio)
Fannie Merritt 1857–1915 American cookery expert

Farmer

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

James Leonard 1920–1999 American civil rights leader

More from Merriam-Webster on farmer

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