farmer

noun

farm·​er ˈfär-mər How to pronounce farmer (audio)
1
: a person who pays a fixed sum for some privilege or source of income
2
: a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals (such as livestock or fish)
3

Examples of farmer in a Sentence

My uncle has been a farmer for 60 years. a young farmer whose family has been growing wheat for many generations
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As tariffs take effect, farmers fear retaliation from other countries will impede their exports and drive up costs of production. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025 Without access to federal funds, the farmers will have the opportunity to refine their business model and focus on generating profit independently, Thomas said. Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025 Internationally, there was concern that tariffs would cause a decline in sales, while within the United States farmers worried about the impact of losing much of their labor force due to anti-immigration policies. Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025 All of Margot McKinney’s pearls come from a single pearl farmer, Aji Ellies Wimilirantna, who is with McKinney in her exhibition space. Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for farmer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of farmer was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Farmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farmer. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

farmer

noun
farm·​er ˈfär-mər How to pronounce farmer (audio)
: a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals

Biographical Definition

Farmer 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Far·​mer ˈfär-mər How to pronounce Farmer (audio)
Fannie Merritt 1857–1915 American cookery expert

Farmer

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

James Leonard 1920–1999 American civil rights leader

More from Merriam-Webster on farmer

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