What does receiver mean?
A receiver is someone or something that receives a message, delivery, payment, or signal. In ordinary conversation, it usually refers to the person who is meant to get or answer a communication: the receiver of a parcel, payment, or letter. In radio, television, and telephone technology, a receiver is the equipment or component that detects incoming signals or carries sound to the user. The word can also have a specialized legal meaning for a person or institution appointed to manage assets or property. Overall, receiver is a useful general word because it focuses on the destination or receiving end of a process. It can apply naturally to both people and machines, from a message recipient to a radio set, while its technical and legal uses provide useful contrasts with sender, transmitter, or donor.
nounA person or thing that receives something, especially a person who is sent a message, payment, or gift; by extension, a device or component that receives signals.
- A person who receives a message, gift, payment, or other item.
- A device or component that receives a signal, especially a radio, television, or telephone receiver.
- In legal or financial contexts, a person or institution appointed to receive, manage, or take possession of property or funds.
"The receiver had been waiting for the package all morning."
"The receiver of the letter opened it immediately."
"The radio receiver picked up the distant broadcast."
The regular plural is used for both people and devices or components.
"The receivers reported that the signal had returned to normal."
A receiver is defined by what comes to it: a message, a signal, or even a shipment of goods.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does receiver come from?
The English noun receiver developed in the late Middle English period from receive with the agentive suffix -er. Receive ultimately comes through Old French from Latin recipere, formed from re- meaning back and capere meaning take. The same Latin root underlies cognates including recipient, reception, receptacle, and receptive; the English word’s meanings expanded from a person who receives to include receiving equipment and specialized legal uses.
Related word forms
How receiver is actually used
The word is generally neutral in tone. In everyday use it often means the recipient of a message or delivery, while in technical contexts it commonly denotes equipment that receives a signal. Its legal and financial senses are more specialized.
Easily confused with receiver
A recipient is the person who receives a message, gift, payment, or other item, whereas a receiver can also refer to a device that receives signals.