librarian

noun

li·​brar·​i·​an lī-ˈbrer-ē-ən How to pronounce librarian (audio)
-ˈbre-rē-
: a specialist in the care or management of a library
librarianship
lī-ˈbrer-ē-ən-ˌship How to pronounce librarian (audio)
-ˈbre-rē-
noun

Examples of librarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cole played benevolent librarian, popping in from time to time to show me things of interest. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Any librarian who opposes this cut should feel free, like Patty, to speak out against it in their personal capacity. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026 Bunny Levine, a school librarian turned Hollywood actor, has died. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The California librarian and TV personality sometimes uses his platform to stress the importance of mental health care. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for librarian

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of librarian was in 1702

Rhymes for librarian

See All Rhymes for librarian

Browse Nearby Words

Libran
librarian
librarianship
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Librarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/librarian. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

librarian

noun
li·​brar·​i·​an lī-ˈbrer-ē-ən How to pronounce librarian (audio)
: a person in charge of a library
librarianship
-ˌship How to pronounce librarian (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All