1
a
: one that reads
a magazine with three million readers
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)
(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 can display text (as that of a book or magazine)
c
: an electronic device that scans coded information (as on credit cards or bar codes) for storage or computation
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
Jeanne RayExamples 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
Times reporter Kevin Baxter and Times en Español reporters Eduard Cauich and Jad El Reda help readers prepare for the World Cup.
—Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
My greatest wish for Girls Like Us is that readers might recognize themselves in this story, the way so many recognize themselves is Some Girls Do.
—Jennifer Dugan, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Investigators were able to recover four of them using license plate reader surveillance cameras.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Democrats’ traditional Jewish alliance, Palestinian statehood and Catholic teaching, in readers' eyes.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
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Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
My greatest wish for Girls Like Us is that readers might recognize themselves in this story, the way so many recognize themselves is Some Girls Do.
—Jennifer Dugan, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Investigators were able to recover four of them using license plate reader surveillance cameras.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Democrats’ traditional Jewish alliance, Palestinian statehood and Catholic teaching, in readers' eyes.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reader
Cite this Entry
“Reader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reader. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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