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programmer

American  
[proh-gram-er] / ˈproʊ græm ər /
Or programer

noun

  1. a person who writes code for computer programs.

  2. a person who programs a machine, device, or apparatus.

  3. a person who prepares program schedules, as for radio or television.

  4. a person who prepares instructional programs.

ˈprogrammer British  
/ ˈprəʊɡræmə /

noun

  1. a person who writes a program so that data may be processed by a computer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of programmer

First recorded in 1885–90; program + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Brockman, a prolific programmer and one of OpenAI’s co-founders, was friends with Daniela and began hanging around the group house.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Bill Atkinson, a brilliant Apple programmer, kept his eyes on the screen as though they were fixed there by a magnetic field.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Austrian programmer Peter Steinberger, who built OpenClaw to help organise his digital life, was hired last month by ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

He’s a part-time programmer, landlord and fixes cars.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026

The anonymous seller claimed to be a former IOI contract programmer and one of the lead architects of its company intranet.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.