Standard Lemma guide

tutor

name · noun · verb · 12 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.

  • /ˈtjuːtəː/ without the yod-coalescence
  • [ˈthjʊu̯thəː] without the yod-coalescence
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈt͡ʃuːtəː/ yod-coalescence
  • [ˈt͡ʃhʊu̯thəː] yod-coalescence
  • /ˈtutɚ/ without t-flapping
  • [ˈthʊu̯thɚ] ~ [ˈthʊu̯thɹ̩] without t-flapping
  • /ˈtuɾɚ/ t-flapping
  • [ˈthʊu̯ɾɚ] ~ [ˈthʊu̯ɾɹ̩] t-flapping
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈt͡ʃuː.t̪oɾ/ Philippines, yod-coalescence
  • [ˈt͡ʃuː.t̪oɾ] ~ [ˈt͡ʃuː.t̪or] Philippines, yod-coalescence
  • rhymes with -uːtə(ɹ)
  • homophone: tooter
  • homophone: Tudor
  • CMU ARPABET: T UW1 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who teaches another (usually called a student, learner, or tutee) in a one-on-one or small-group interaction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He passed the difficult class with help from his tutor.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A university officer responsible for students in a particular hall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A homeroom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

One who has the charge of a child or pupil and his estate; a guardian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Quebec, obsolete

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A card that allows one to search one's deck for one or more other cards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: collectible card games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To instruct or teach, especially an individual or small group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • To help pay her tuition, the college student began to tutor high school students in calculus and physics.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To treat with authority or sternness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To fetch a card from one's deck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: collectible card games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

a person who gives private instruction (as in singing, acting, etc.)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: coach, private instructor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: teacher, instructor

Narrower terms: crammer

11

verb

Meaning 11

be a tutor to someone; give individual instruction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She tutored me in Spanish

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: teach, learn, instruct

12

verb

Meaning 12

act as a guardian to someone

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relate, interrelate

History

Etymology

From Middle English tutour, from Old French tuteur (French tuteur), from Latin tūtor (“a watcher, protector, guardian”), from tueor (“protect”); see tuition.

Ellipsis of Demonic tutor, name of an early Magic: The Gathering card with this effect.

Across languages

Translations

89 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: домашен учител (domašen učitel) — one who teaches another
  • Bulgarian: възпитател (vǎzpitatel) — one who teaches another
  • Catalan: tutor — one who teaches another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 私人教師 /私人教师 (sīrén jiàoshī) — one who teaches another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 家庭教師 /家庭教师 (jiātíng jiàoshī) — one who teaches another
  • Danish: hjælpelærer — one who teaches another
  • Danish: privatlærer — one who teaches another
  • Danish: lektiehjælper — one who teaches another
  • Dutch: studiebegeleider — one who teaches another
  • Dutch: mentor — one who teaches another
  • Dutch: privé-leraar — one who teaches another
  • Finnish: tuutori — one who teaches another
  • Finnish: tutori — one who teaches another
  • Finnish: tuutor — one who teaches another
  • Finnish: tutor — one who teaches another
  • Finnish: tukioppilas — one who teaches another
  • Finnish: tukari — one who teaches another
  • French: tuteur — one who teaches another
  • Galician: titor — one who teaches another
  • Galician: aio — one who teaches another
  • German: Lehrer — one who teaches another
  • German: Nachhilfelehrer — one who teaches another
  • Greek: προγυμναστής (progymnastís) — one who teaches another
  • Ancient Greek: παιδαγωγός (paidagōgós) — one who teaches another
  • Hebrew: מורה פרטי — one who teaches another
  • Higaonon: magtutudlo — one who teaches another
  • Irish: oide — one who teaches another
  • Irish: teagascóir — one who teaches another
  • Italian: istitutore — one who teaches another
  • Italian: istitutrice — one who teaches another
  • Italian: precettore — one who teaches another
  • Italian: precettrice — one who teaches another
  • Italian: aio — one who teaches another
  • Italian: aia — one who teaches another
  • Japanese: 家庭教師 — one who teaches another
  • Korean: 튜터 (tyuteo) — one who teaches another
  • Latin: praeceptor — one who teaches another
  • Latin: praeceptrix — one who teaches another
  • Latin: tutor — one who teaches another
  • Latin: ēductor — one who teaches another
  • Macedonian: воспи́тувач (vospítuvač) — one who teaches another
  • Macedonian: у́чител (účitel) — one who teaches another
  • Māori: pouako — one who teaches another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hjelpelærer — one who teaches another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gruppelærer — one who teaches another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: privatlærer — one who teaches another
  • Plautdietsch: Priewautliera — one who teaches another
  • Polish: tutor — one who teaches another
  • Portuguese: tutor — one who teaches another
  • Romanian: meditator — one who teaches another
  • Russian: репети́тор (repetítor) — one who teaches another
  • Serbo-Croatian: скр̑бнӣк — one who teaches another
  • Serbo-Croatian: скрбкиња — one who teaches another
  • Serbo-Croatian: skȓbnīk — one who teaches another
  • Serbo-Croatian: skrbkinja — one who teaches another
  • Spanish: tutor — one who teaches another
  • Spanish: protutor — one who teaches another
  • Spanish: contutor (disused) — one who teaches another
  • Spanish: acudiente — one who teaches another
  • Swedish: informator — one who teaches another
  • Swedish: lärare — one who teaches another
  • Swedish: guvernant — one who teaches another
  • Swedish: privatlärare — one who teaches another
  • Thai: ครูพิเศษ — one who teaches another
  • Turkish: lala — one who teaches another
  • Ukrainian: репети́тор (repetýtor) — one who teaches another
  • Vietnamese: gia sư — one who teaches another
  • Welsh: tiwtor — one who teaches another
  • Welsh: tiwtores — one who teaches another
  • Bulgarian: давам уроци (davam uroci) — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 輔導 /辅导 (fǔdǎo) — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 个人辅导 — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Finnish: tuutoroida — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Finnish: tutoroida — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Finnish: avustaa — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Irish: teagasc — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Italian: insegnare — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Italian: istruire — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Portuguese: tutelar — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Portuguese: tutorar — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Romanian: medita — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Russian: дава́ть уро́ки (davátʹ uróki) — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Spanish: enseñar — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Spanish: instruir — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Spanish: tutorizar — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Spanish: tutelar — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Spanish: tutorar (DEA) — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Swedish: undervisa — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
  • Swedish: handleda — to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or small group
Real reading context

tutor in complete knowledge articles