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Meaning & use

tutor

noun, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtjuː.tə/
US/ˈtuː.t̬ɚ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A teacher who works with one learner or a small group, often privately or outside normal classes.

    Grammar: Countable; say a tutor in a subject or a chemistry tutor.

    Patterns

    • a tutor in something
    • hire a tutor
    • a private tutor

    Her parents hired a math tutor to help before the entrance exam.

    He works as a tutor in French and Spanish.

    The library offers free tutors for students who need extra help.

  2. nouncountableBritish

    At a university, a teacher responsible for guiding and advising a small group of students.

    Grammar: Countable; common in British universities, where each student is assigned a personal tutor.

    Patterns

    • a personal tutor
    • meet your tutor
    • a college tutor

    She meets her tutor every two weeks to discuss her progress.

    Your tutor can advise you on which courses to take.

    Each new student is assigned a personal tutor in their department.

  3. verbtransitive

    To teach or guide someone individually or in a small group.

    Grammar: Takes an object: tutor a student. Often followed by in: tutor someone in chemistry.

    Patterns

    • tutor someone
    • tutor someone in something
    • tutor at a center

    She tutors high school students in writing on weekends.

    He was tutored in piano by a retired concert pianist.

    I tutor my neighbor's son twice a week after school.

Word forms

pluraltutors
third person singulartutors
past tensetutored
past participletutored
-ing formtutoring

Common combinations

private tutor
A private tutor came to the house twice a week.
personal tutor
Her personal tutor suggested she drop the extra course.
tutor someone in English
Volunteers tutor children in English at the community center.
hire a tutor
They hired a tutor to prepare him for the test.

Synonyms and how they differ

instructor
An instructor teaches a class or skill; tutor stresses one-to-one or small-group guidance.
coach
A coach trains someone to improve a particular skill or performance, often in sports.
mentor
A mentor guides someone's long-term growth; a tutor usually teaches specific subject content.

Word family

tutorial noun
A short lesson for one or a few students, or a video teaching a skill.
tutee noun
The person being tutored; a rare, formal word.
tutorial adjective
Relating to tutoring or to a tutor's guidance.

Commonly confused: tutor or lecturer? tutor or mentor?

tutor vs lecturer

A lecturer gives lectures to large university classes; a tutor works closely with individuals or small groups.

tutor vs mentor

A mentor advises and supports over time; a tutor's role is primarily teaching.

Practice

He works as a tutor ___ mathematics at the community college.

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