Meaning & use
receiver
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person who gets something that has been given or sent to them.
Grammar: Often used with a giver or sender: the receiver of the letter.
Patterns
- the receiver of something
The receiver of the package must sign for it.
He was the lucky receiver of a free ticket.
The message failed to reach the receiver.
nouncountabletechnical
A device that picks up radio, television or other signals.
Grammar: Often with a type: a radio receiver, a satellite receiver.
Patterns
- a radio receiver
The radio receiver picked up a faint signal.
A satellite receiver sits on the roof.
He plugged the receiver into the speakers.
nouncountableold-fashioned
The part of a telephone that you hold to your ear.
Grammar: Used mainly for older phones: lift the receiver.
Patterns
- pick up the receiver
- put down the receiver
She lifted the receiver and dialed.
He slammed the receiver down in anger.
Hold the receiver closer to your ear.
nouncountablesportAmerican
In American football, a player who catches passes from the quarterback.
Grammar: Often wide receiver.
Patterns
- a wide receiver
The receiver caught the ball in the end zone.
Their star receiver scored twice.
The quarterback looked for an open receiver.
nouncountablelegalbusiness
A person appointed to manage the property of a bankrupt business or person.
Grammar: Legal and business use: the receiver sold the assets.
Patterns
- appoint a receiver
A receiver was appointed to run the failed company.
The receiver sold the factory to pay the debts.
The court named a receiver for the estate.
Word forms
| plural | receivers |
|---|
Common combinations
- wide receiver
- The wide receiver sprinted down the field.
- radio receiver
- An old radio receiver stood on the shelf.
- lift the receiver
- She lifted the receiver but heard only silence.
- the receiver of the message
- The receiver of the message must reply by noon.
- appointed receiver
- The company went under an appointed receiver.
Synonyms and how they differ
- recipient
- Recipient is a more formal word for the person who gets something, usually a gift, letter or award.
- addressee
- Addressee means the person a letter or message is addressed to.
- handset
- Handset is the common word for the part of a phone you hold, and covers mobile phones too.
- catcher
- Catcher fits baseball or cricket, whereas receiver is for American football.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: receiver or reciever?
receiver vs reciever
This is a common misspelling. The correct order is ie after c, so the word is receiver, as in the rule i before e except after c.
Practice
Which spelling is correct?
Choose one answer.
Receiver follows the rule that e comes before i after c. The other spellings reverse the letters or use the wrong ending.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “receiver”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.