user

"User" is a straightforward word with a couple of closely related meanings. It most commonly appears as a noun, and you will encounter it constantly in everyday life — especially in technology contexts.

1nouna person who uses something

A user is simply someone who uses a thing — a tool, a service, a product, or a system. Think of it this way: if you ride a bus, you are a user of public transport. If you borrow books from a library, you are a library user.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

The new park is open to all users, including cyclists and joggers.

As a regular user of the library, she knew exactly where to find every section.

The product was designed with the everyday user in mind.

2nouna person with an account on a computer system

In technology, a user is someone who has access to a computer, app, website, or digital service — usually through a personal account. When a website asks you to log in, it is treating you as a registered user.

technology / computing · Modern, widely used

The app now has over ten million active users worldwide.

Each user must create a unique username and password to log in.

The system administrator can grant or remove access for any user.

3nounfigurativea person who takes advantage of others

In a more negative, figurative sense, a user is someone who treats other people selfishly — building relationships only to get something out of them, without genuinely caring about the other person. It is a critical word when used this way.

everyday language / interpersonal relationships · Modern, widely used · figurative

She realized he was just a user who only called when he needed a favour.

Don't be a user — real friendships go both ways.

People eventually stopped helping him because they saw he was a user.