noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:R IY1 D ER0 SH IH2 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The collected readers of a publication.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The village newspaper has a readership of only 200 people.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The role or office of a reader.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
the Nora Chadwick Readership in Celtic Studies
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The office or position of a Reader
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the audience reached by written communications (books or magazines or newspapers etc.)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: audience
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English reader Proto-Germanic *skapjaną Proto-Germanic *-skapiz Proto-West Germanic *-skapi Old English -sċiepe Middle English -schipe English -ship English readership From reader + -ship.
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
讀者群 /读者群
(dúzhěqún)
— collected readers of a publication
Czech:
čtenářstvo
— collected readers of a publication
Dutch:
lezerspubliek
— collected readers of a publication
Finnish:
lukijakunta
— collected readers of a publication
French:
lectorat
— collected readers of a publication
Georgian:
მკითხველები
(mḳitxvelebi)
— collected readers of a publication
German:
Leserschaft
— collected readers of a publication
Greek:
αναγνωσιμότητα
(anagnosimótita)
— collected readers of a publication
Hebrew:
קהל־קוראים
(khal korˈʔim)
— collected readers of a publication
Hungarian:
olvasóközönség
— collected readers of a publication
Indonesian:
kepembacaan
— collected readers of a publication
Portuguese:
leitores
— collected readers of a publication
Russian:
читательская аудитория
(čitatelʹskaja auditorija)
— collected readers of a publication
Russian:
аудитория
(auditorija)
— collected readers of a publication
Russian:
круг чита́телей
(krug čitátelej)
— collected readers of a publication
Serbo-Croatian:
čitatéljstvo
— collected readers of a publication
Spanish:
lectoría
— collected readers of a publication
Spanish:
lectores
— collected readers of a publication
Swahili:
usomaji
— collected readers of a publication
Swedish:
läsekrets
— collected readers of a publication
Welsh:
darllenyddiaeth
— collected readers of a publication