Standard Lemma guide

receiver

noun · 20 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ɹəˈsi.vɚ/
  • UK: /ɹɪˈsiː.və/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːvə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: R AH0 S IY1 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R IH0 S IY1 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 3: R IY0 S IY1 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who receives.

An official whose job is to receive taxes or other monies; a tax collector, a treasurer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who receives.

A person who receives something in a general sense; a recipient.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person who receives.

A person who accepts stolen goods.

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

A person who receives.

A person or company appointed to settle the affairs of an insolvent entity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insolvency administrator, insolvency practitioner, liquidator, administrator, court administrator, trustee in bankruptcy

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A person who receives.

An offensive player who catches the ball after it has been passed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: American-football, ball-games, football, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A person who receives.

A person who attempts to return the serve.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, racquet-sports, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An item or apparatus that receives.

Something which receives some substance or object, in a general sense; a receptacle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An item or apparatus that receives.

A vessel for receiving and holding the products of distillation, or for containing gases.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

An item or apparatus that receives.

An airtight vessel from which air is pumped in order to form a vacuum.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

An item or apparatus that receives.

The part of a firearm containing the action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

An item or apparatus that receives.

A vessel for receiving the exhaust steam from the high-pressure cylinder before it enters the low-pressure cylinder, in a compound steam engine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

An item or apparatus that receives.

Any of several electronic devices that receive electromagnetic waves, or signals transmitted as such.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: transmitter

13

noun

Meaning 13

An item or apparatus that receives.

The part of a telephone handset contained in the earpiece; (hence) the handset itself; an earpiece.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

An item or apparatus that receives.

A swaption which gives its holder the option to enter into a swap in which they pay the floating leg and receive the fixed leg.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

set that receives radio or tv signals

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: receiving system

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: set

Narrower terms: direction finder, radio receiver, receiving set, radio set, radio, tuner, wireless, satellite receiver, television receiver, television, television set, tv, tv set, idiot box, boob tube, telly, goggle box

16

noun

Meaning 16

earphone that converts electrical signals into sounds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: telephone receiver

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: earphone, earpiece, headphone, phone

Narrower terms: headset

17

noun

Meaning 17

a person who receives something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recipient

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: acquirer

Narrower terms: addressee, alienee, grantee, annuitant, assignee, beneficiary, donee, borrower, conferee, consignee, dependant, dependent, heir, inheritor, heritor, honoree, host, mandatary, mandatory, payee, protege, sendee, transferee, warrantee

18

noun

Meaning 18

(law) a person (usually appointed by a court of law) who liquidates assets or preserves them for the benefit of affected parties

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: liquidator

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fiduciary

19

noun

Meaning 19

a football player who catches (or is supposed to catch) a forward pass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pass receiver, pass catcher

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: football player, footballer

20

noun

Meaning 20

the tennis player who receives the serve

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tennis player

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English receyvour, from Anglo-Norman receverre, receivour et al., later also reformed as receive + -er. Compare recevor, rescaivour.

Across languages

Translations

238 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: ontvanger — person who receives
  • Albanian: marrës — person who receives
  • Albanian: marrëse — person who receives
  • Arabic: مُسْتَلِم (mustalim) — person who receives
  • Arabic: مُسْتَلِمَة (mustalima) — person who receives
  • Armenian: ստացող (stacʻoġ) — person who receives
  • Azerbaijani: alıcı — person who receives
  • Belarusian: атрыма́льнік (atrymálʹnik) — person who receives
  • Belarusian: атрыма́льніца (atrymálʹnica) — person who receives
  • Belarusian: атрыма́ч (atrymáč) — person who receives
  • Belarusian: атрыма́чка (atrymáčka) — person who receives
  • Bulgarian: получа́тел (polučátel) — person who receives
  • Bulgarian: получа́телка (polučátelka) — person who receives
  • Burmese: လက်ခံသူ (lakhkamsu) — person who receives
  • Chinese Mandarin: 收件人 (shōujiànrén) — person who receives
  • Czech: příjemce — person who receives
  • Czech: příjemkyně — person who receives
  • Czech: adresát — person who receives
  • Czech: adresátka — person who receives
  • Danish: modtager — person who receives
  • Dutch: ontvanger — person who receives
  • Dutch: ontvangster — person who receives
  • Estonian: saaja — person who receives
  • Finnish: vastaanottaja — person who receives
  • Finnish: saaja — person who receives
  • French: destinataire — person who receives
  • Georgian: მიმღები (mimɣebi) — person who receives
  • German: Empfänger — person who receives
  • German: Empfängerin — person who receives
  • Greek: αποδέκτης (apodéktis) — person who receives
  • Greek: παραλήπτης (paralíptis) — person who receives
  • Hindi: प्राप्तकर्ता (prāptakartā) — person who receives
  • Hindi: लाभार्थी (lābhārthī) — person who receives
  • Hindi: आदाता (ādātā) — person who receives
  • Hindi: ग्रहीता (grahītā) — person who receives
  • Hungarian: átvevő — person who receives
  • Hungarian: címzett — person who receives
  • Hungarian: fogadó fél — person who receives
  • Icelandic: móttakandi — person who receives
  • Indonesian: penerima — person who receives
  • Japanese: 受取人 (uketorinin) — person who receives
  • Kazakh: алушы (aluşy) — person who receives
  • Kazakh: қабылдаушы (qabyldauşy) — person who receives
  • Khmer: អ្នកទទួល (nĕək tɔɔtɔtuəl) — person who receives
  • Korean: 수취인 (suchwiin) — person who receives
  • Korean: 받는 사람 (banneun saram) — person who receives
  • Korean: 수신인 (susinin) — person who receives
  • Northern Kurdish: wergir — person who receives
  • Kyrgyz: алуучу (aluucu) — person who receives
  • Lao: ຜູ້ຮັບ (phū hap) — person who receives
  • Latvian: saņēmējs — person who receives
  • Latvian: saņēmēja — person who receives
  • Lithuanian: gavėjas — person who receives
  • Lithuanian: gavėja — person who receives
  • Macedonian: примател (primatel) — person who receives
  • Macedonian: примателка (primatelka) — person who receives
  • Macedonian: примач (primač) — person who receives
  • Macedonian: примачка (primačka) — person who receives
  • Malay: penerima — person who receives
  • Middle English: receyvour — person who receives
  • Mongolian: хүлээн авагч (xüleen avagč) — person who receives
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mottaker — person who receives
  • Iranian Persian: گیرَنْدِه (girande) — person who receives
  • Polish: odbiorca — person who receives
  • Polish: odbiorczyni — person who receives
  • Polish: biorca — person who receives
  • Portuguese: destinatário — person who receives
  • Portuguese: recebedor — person who receives
  • Romanian: destinatar — person who receives
  • Romanian: destinatară — person who receives
  • Russian: получа́тель (polučátelʹ) — person who receives
  • Russian: получа́тельница (polučátelʹnica) — person who receives
  • Serbo-Croatian: prìmatelj — person who receives
  • Serbo-Croatian: primatèljica — person who receives
  • Serbo-Croatian: прѝматељ — person who receives
  • Serbo-Croatian: приматѐљица — person who receives
  • Slovak: príjemca — person who receives
  • Slovak: príjemkyňa — person who receives
  • Slovene: prejemnik — person who receives
  • Slovene: prejemnica — person who receives
  • Spanish: destinatario — person who receives
  • Spanish: recibidor — person who receives
  • Swedish: mottagare — person who receives
  • Tajik: гиранда (giranda) — person who receives
  • Tatar: алучы (aluçı) — person who receives
  • Thai: ผู้รับ (pûu-ráp) — person who receives
  • Turkish: alıcı — person who receives
  • Turkmen: alyjy — person who receives
  • Ukrainian: оде́ржувач (odéržuvač) — person who receives
  • Ukrainian: оде́ржувачка (odéržuvačka) — person who receives
  • Urdu: وُصُول کُنِنْدَہ (vusūl kuninda) — person who receives
  • Uzbek: oluvchi — person who receives
  • Vietnamese: người nhận — person who receives
  • Finnish: selvitysmies — trustee
  • Hungarian: vagyonkezelő — trustee
  • Hungarian: gondnok — trustee
  • Hungarian: meghatalmazott — trustee
  • Dutch: curator — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Finnish: pesänhoitaja — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • French: receveur — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • German: Konkursverwalter — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • German: Insolvenzverwalter — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Greek: φοροεισπράκτορας (foroeispráktoras) — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Hebrew: כונס נכסים (konés nekhasím) — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Hungarian: csődtömeggondnok — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Hungarian: csődgondnok — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Hungarian: csődbiztos — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Hungarian: felszámolóbiztos — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Hungarian: vagyonfelügyelő — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Irish: glacadóir — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Latin: cūrātor bonōrum — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Russian: ко́нкурсный управля́ющий (kónkursnyj upravljájuščij) — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Serbo-Croatian: стечајни управитељ — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Serbo-Croatian: stečajni upravitelj — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Slovene: stečajni upravitelj — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Swedish: konkursförvaltare — person appointed to settle financial affairs
  • Danish: hæler — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Finnish: luukuttaja — person who accepts stolen goods
  • French: receleur — person who accepts stolen goods
  • German: Hehler — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Greek: κλεπταποδόχος (kleptapodóchos) — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Hungarian: orgazda — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Irish: glacadóir — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Italian: ricettatore — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Middle English: recettour — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Norwegian Bokmål: heler — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Portuguese: receptador — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Swedish: hälare — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Walloon: riceleu — person who accepts stolen goods
  • Arabic: مِذْيَاع (miḏyāʕ) — electronic device
  • Arabic: رَادِيُو (rādiyū) — electronic device
  • Azerbaijani: qəbuledici — electronic device
  • Belarusian: прыёмнік (pryjómnik) — electronic device
  • Bulgarian: прие́мник (priémnik) — electronic device
  • Catalan: receptor — electronic device
  • Chinese Mandarin: 收音機 /收音机 (shōuyīnjī) — electronic device
  • Czech: přijímač — electronic device
  • Danish: modtager — electronic device
  • Finnish: vastaanotin — electronic device
  • French: récepteur — electronic device
  • Galician: receptor — electronic device
  • Georgian: მიმღები (mimɣebi) — electronic device
  • German: Empfangsgerät — electronic device
  • German: Empfänger — electronic device
  • Greek: δέκτης (déktis) — electronic device
  • Hebrew: מַקְלֵט (maklét) — electronic device
  • Hungarian: vevőkészülék — electronic device
  • Italian: cornetta — electronic device
  • Japanese: 受信機 (jushinki) — electronic device
  • Kazakh: қабылдауыш (qabyldauyş) — electronic device
  • Korean: 수신기 (susin'gi) — electronic device
  • Macedonian: приемник (priemnik) — electronic device
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mottaker — electronic device
  • Occitan: receptor — electronic device
  • Polish: odbiornik — electronic device
  • Portuguese: receptor — electronic device
  • Russian: приёмник (prijómnik) — electronic device
  • Slovak: prijímač — electronic device
  • Swedish: mottagare — electronic device
  • Ukrainian: прийма́ч (pryjmáč) — electronic device
  • Azerbaijani: qəbuledici — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Belarusian: прыёмнік (pryjómnik) — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Bulgarian: прие́мник (priémnik) — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Czech: přijímač — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Danish: modtager — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Finnish: vastaanotin — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Hungarian: rádióvevő — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Māori: kawereo — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Pannonian Rusyn: примач (primač) — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Polish: odbiornik — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Russian: приёмник (prijómnik) — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Slovak: prijímač — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Thai: เครื่องรับวิทยุ — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Ukrainian: прийма́ч (pryjmáč) — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Uzbek: priyomnik — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Vietnamese: máy thu thanh — electronic device that receives and converts signal
  • Afrikaans: gehoorstuk — telephone handset
  • Arabic: سَمَّاعَة (sammāʕa) — telephone handset
  • Belarusian: тру́бка (trúbka) — telephone handset
  • Belarusian: слу́хаўка (slúxawka) — telephone handset
  • Bulgarian: слуша́лка (slušálka) — telephone handset
  • Chinese Mandarin: 話筒 /话筒 (huàtǒng) — telephone handset
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聽筒 /听筒 (tīngtǒng) — telephone handset
  • Chinese Mandarin: 受話器 /受话器 (shòuhuàqì) — telephone handset
  • Czech: sluchátko — telephone handset
  • Danish: telefonrør — telephone handset
  • Dutch: hoorn — telephone handset
  • Esperanto: aŭdilo — telephone handset
  • Esperanto: aŭskultilo — telephone handset
  • Finnish: kuuloke — telephone handset
  • Finnish: luuri — telephone handset
  • French: écouteur — telephone handset
  • German: Hörer — telephone handset
  • Greek: ακουστικό (akoustikó) — telephone handset
  • Hindi: रिसीवर (risīvar) — telephone handset
  • Hungarian: telefonkagyló — telephone handset
  • Irish: glacadán — telephone handset
  • Irish: glacadóir — telephone handset
  • Japanese: 受話器 (juwaki) — telephone handset
  • Kashubian: słëchôwka — telephone handset
  • Korean: 수화기 (suhwagi) — telephone handset
  • Lao: ຫູໂທລະສັບ (hū thō la sap) — telephone handset
  • Macedonian: слушалка (slušalka) — telephone handset
  • Māori: kawereo — telephone handset
  • Iranian Persian: گوشی (guši) — telephone handset
  • Polish: słuchawka — telephone handset
  • Russian: телефо́нная тру́бка (telefónnaja trúbka) — telephone handset
  • Russian: тру́бка (trúbka) — telephone handset
  • Serbo-Croatian: слу̏шалица — telephone handset
  • Serbo-Croatian: slȕšalica — telephone handset
  • Slovak: slúchadlo — telephone handset
  • Slovene: slušalka — telephone handset
  • Swedish: telefonlur — telephone handset
  • Swedish: lur — telephone handset
  • Tajik: гӯшак (güšak) — telephone handset
  • Tajik: гӯшаки телефон (güšak-i telefon) — telephone handset
  • Thai: หูโทรศัพท์ — telephone handset
  • Turkish: ahize — telephone handset
  • Turkmen: trubka — telephone handset
  • Ukrainian: слу́хавка (slúxavka) — telephone handset
  • Ukrainian: тру́бка (trúbka) — telephone handset
  • Uzbek: trubka — telephone handset
  • Vietnamese: ống nghe — telephone handset
  • Vietnamese: ống nói — telephone handset
  • Vietnamese: ống điện thoại — telephone handset
  • Finnish: laitahyökkääjä — in American football
  • Hungarian: fogadójátékos — in American football
  • Hungarian: elkapó játékos — in American football
  • Bulgarian: посреща́ч (posreštáč) — in tennis
  • Finnish: vastaanottaja — in tennis
  • Bulgarian: резервоа́р (rezervoár) — element of system
  • Finnish: vastin — element of system
  • Finnish: lukonkehys — part of a firearm containing the action
  • Finnish: laatikko — part of a firearm containing the action
  • Finnish: välittäjä — vessel in a compound steam engine
  • Finnish: resiiveri — vessel in a compound steam engine
  • Hungarian: gyűjtőtartály — vessel in a compound steam engine
  • Irish: gabhdán — (chemistry) vessel for receiving and holding the products of distillation, or for containing gases
Real reading context

receiver in complete knowledge articles