noun
Etymology
Origin of programmer
Explanation
Someone who writes software or programs for computers is called a programmer. If you develop an application for mobile devices, you can also call yourself a programmer. Programmers use a variety of computer languages to write the code (or instructions) that helps computers do the things their users want them to do. There are programmers who specialize in specific languages which are useful in various industries — some are used by financial institutions and others by scientists, for example. Evidence of the dramatic way things change over time is clear from the shift in this word's meaning: in 1890, a programmer was an "event planner."
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.
Naveed Hasan is a computer programmer, a parent and a member of Panel for Education Policy, an oversight board for New Yorks' public school system.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Likewise for a stalled computer programmer who becomes a data scientist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
From his father, a programmer for video games whom he calls eccentric, Parsons inherited a love of sci-fi and “weird storytelling.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
"It is genuinely terrifying," said Jason, an IT programmer whose team is only hiring those who have experience using AI tools.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
Three tense weeks after that, Eric took a temp job, as a network programmer with Andersen Consulting that paid $35,000 a year.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
