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)
(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
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
But parents of the most avid and successful readers don’t save reading for bedtime.
—Maya Payne Smart, Contributor, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025
Stop by readers' favorite The Floyd Country Store in Virginia to experience their Friday Night Jamboree in all its glory.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.
—Josh Funk and Haya Panjwani, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
In 2009, The New York Times asked readers to weigh in on how their dating lives had changed due to the recession.
—Myisha Battle, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reader
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Maya Payne Smart, Contributor, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025
Stop by readers' favorite The Floyd Country Store in Virginia to experience their Friday Night Jamboree in all its glory.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.
—Josh Funk and Haya Panjwani, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
In 2009, The New York Times asked readers to weigh in on how their dating lives had changed due to the recession.
—Myisha Battle, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reader
Cite this Entry
“Reader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reader. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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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