tutor

1 of 2

noun

tu·​tor ˈtü-tər 

ˈtyü-

: a person charged with the instruction and guidance of another: such as

a

: a private teacher

b

: a teacher in a British university who gives individual instruction to undergraduates

tutor

2 of 2

verb

tutored; tutoring; tutors

transitive verb

1

: to teach or guide usually individually in a special subject or for a particular purpose : coach

2

: to have the guardianship, tutelage, or care of

intransitive verb

1

: to do the work of a tutor

2

: to receive instruction especially privately

Synonyms

Verb

• educate
• indoctrinate
• instruct
• lesson
• school
• teach
• train

Examples of tutor in a Sentence

Noun

I got a tutor to help me with my homework.

He is a tutor in European history.

Verb

She earned extra money tutoring in the evening.

bought a video series designed to tutor a person in the fine art of decorating cakes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The plaintiffs allege that the prestigious all-girls school had been alerted in the past to abusive and suspicious behavior by Mark Allan Hodes, a longtime math tutor who worked from his Palo Alto home prior to his August 2020 arrest. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

The platform offers an AI calculator, AI essay writer and live tutors, according to its website, which was unavailable in the U.S. on Sunday. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025

Verb

Eugene Lopes, who has been tutoring Depa in jail for his GED, said that Depa has an extensive vocabulary and is generally very polite. —Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025

Stanley has often tutored younger players with extra on-field work after practice. —Brian Wacker, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tutour, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin tutor, from tueri

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

tutor

1 of 2 noun

tu·​tor ˈt(y)üt-ər 

: a person who has the responsibility of instructing and guiding another

tutor

2 of 2 verb

: to teach usually individually

Legal Definition

tutor

noun

tu·​tor ˈtü-tər, ˈtyü-tər 

in the civil law of Louisiana : a guardian of a minor or sometimes of a person with mental retardation compare committee, conservator, curator

tutorship noun