producer

noun pro·duc·er \ prə-ˈdü-sər , prō- , -ˈdyü- \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of producer

1 : one that produces; especially : one that grows agricultural products or manufactures crude materials into articles of use

2 : a person who supervises or finances a work (such as a staged or recorded performance) for exhibition or dissemination to the public

3 : an autotrophic organism (such as a green plant) viewed as a source of biomass that can be consumed by other organisms — compare consumer

See producer defined for English-language learners

See producer defined for kids

Examples of producer in a Sentence

the producer of the play
He is the director and producer.
The country is the world's leading oil producer.

Recent Examples of producer from the Web

But China is trying to become more of a producer than a consumer of chips through its $20 billion Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund.

— klint finley, WIRED, "The Deal to Save ZTE Won't Resolve US-China Tensions," 7 June 2018
Sager, a former producer for CNN, was accused last year of publishing articles that defended corrupt Azerbaijani interests in exchange for $2.6 million from Azerbaijani sources.

— Anchorage Daily News, "With Mueller closing in, Manafort allies jump ship," 7 June 2018
Freeform had been in negotiations with Constantin Films, a co-producer of the show, to produce fewer episodes to make room for the channel's other projects.

— hannah yasharoff, USA TODAY, "'Shadowhunters' cast and fans react to the show's surprise cancellation," 5 June 2018
That all changed in May when Moctesuma Esparza, a Latino movie producer, opened his latest Maya Cinemas theater in Delano in his ongoing effort to open theaters in poor, rural areas in the United States that lack entertainment options.

— russell contreras, The Christian Science Monitor, "Latino movie producer builds theaters in low-income California towns," 4 June 2018
The plant can switch to air cooling for a small (2.5 percent) efficiency penalty and thus become a net water producer.

— david roberts, Vox, "That natural gas power plant with no carbon emissions or air pollution? It works.," 1 June 2018
Light the Night: Gather contributions for an overnight walk illuminated by lanterns carried by each participant Nate Chute is a producer with IndyStar.

— nate chute, Indianapolis Star, "My teammate had leukemia. So these Carmel hockey players raised $1 million to fight cancer.," 30 May 2018
Benedict is a best-selling author, contributor to Sports Illustrated and a TV and film producer.

— carole goldberg, courant.com, "Local Authors Festival To Host Authors, Panel Discussions," 30 May 2018
Drake’s worth as a human being was now to be in the crosshairs, with a woman, a kid, and a music producer with multiple sclerosis as collateral damage.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Pusha T, Drake, and the Limits of Rap Beef," 30 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'producer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of producer

circa 1513

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

PRODUCER Defined for English Language Learners

producer

noun

Definition of producer for English Language Learners

: someone who is in charge of making and usually providing the money for a play, movie, record, etc.
: someone or something that grows or makes particular goods or products