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

Example Sentences

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 challenge comes from trying to translate these big data tools into information that the average farmer can understand and utilize. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 2 June 2023 This is also a time for homeowners to be tending to their yards and farmers to be planting. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2023 After giving birth to a sickly baby girl with a heart defect, Fabiola talks corrupt doctor Mendoza (Julio Augustín) into secretly switching her infant with the healthy newborn daughter of another patient, the poor farmer’s wife, Hortencia Del Rio (Broadway veteran Mandy Gonzalez). Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2023 Blue-collar jobs can provide stable and sufficient wages at times; data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median salary for carpenters was almost $50,000 and well into the $70,000s for farmers. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 29 May 2023 Fields on which farmers once depended are now potential death traps. Alice Martins, Washington Post, 28 May 2023 There’s now an oversupply of pork in the market, and hog farmers have recently shuttered operations across the country as their fortunes have faltered. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2023 Tan Dao Duy Cocoa farmers in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire make less than a dollar a day. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 26 May 2023 Last winter was a terrible time to be a strawberry in California — and maybe an even worse time to be a strawberry farmer. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 24 May 2023 See More

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 8 Jun. 2023.

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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