Meaning & use
technician
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to operate, maintain or repair equipment and who has trained for that practical work.
Grammar: Often placed after the field: lab technician, dental technician.
Patterns
- a technician in something
- a technician at somewhere
A technician came to fix the broken scanner.
The lab technician prepared the samples for the experiment.
She works as a sound technician at the theater.
nouncountable
A person who is skilled in the methods of an art or craft, especially in how to perform them correctly.
Grammar: Often a mild contrast with a person who is merely creative or inspired.
Patterns
- a skilled technician
- a technician rather than an artist
The pianist was a brilliant technician but lacked feeling.
As a technician, the coach had no equal in tactics.
He is a cautious technician who rarely takes risks.
Word forms
| plural | technicians |
|---|
Common combinations
- lab technician
- The lab technician labeled each tube carefully.
- skilled technician
- A skilled technician fixed the engine.
- qualified technician
- Only a qualified technician should open the machine.
- service technician
- A service technician will visit on Tuesday.
- dental technician
- The dental technician made a new bridge.
- sound technician
- The sound technician checked the microphones.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mechanic
- Mechanic usually means someone who repairs vehicles or machines, while technician covers a wider range of equipment.
- engineer
- Engineer usually designs systems, while a technician maintains and runs them.
- specialist
- Specialist suggests deep expertise in a narrow area and can be academic, while technician implies hands-on practical work.
- operator
- Operator suggests someone who runs a machine, whereas a technician also repairs and tests it.
Opposites
Word family
- technical adjective
- relating to practical or specialized knowledge
- technique noun
- a particular way of doing something
- technically adverb
- according to strict rules or in a technical way
- technology noun
- scientific knowledge applied to practical aims
Commonly confused: technician or technologist? technician or tactician?
technician vs technologist
A technologist is an expert in a particular technology and often has a degree, while a technician is trained mainly for practical tasks.
technician vs tactician
A tactician plans strategy, particularly in games and war, and has nothing to do with equipment.
Practice
The hospital called a ____ to repair the broken X-ray machine.
Choose one answer.
A technician is the person who repairs equipment. Tactician refers to strategy, and technique and technology are not people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “technician”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.