readership

noun

read·​er·​ship ˈrē-dər-ˌship How to pronounce readership (audio)
1
a
: the office or position of a reader
b
: the quality or state of being a reader
2
: the mass or a particular group of readers
a magazine's readership

Examples of readership in a Sentence

She holds a readership in chemistry.
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.
But the Forbes report cast scrutiny and said Pierson exaggerated her readership and the valuation of her newsletter. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026 The suit cites an August 2025 article by Forbes that alleged Pierson inflated the readership and valuation of her lifestyle newsletter during business pitches. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 The fresh wind of pragmatism animating the Bancarella Prize—a book fair that exposed and celebrated the consumerist dimension of the book as object—pushed the boundaries of the publishing industry beyond the niches of its traditional readership. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026 But no edition has seen readership this year like Wilson’s 2017 translation, the top-selling edition of this year, according to BookScan. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for readership

Word History

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of readership was in 1719

Rhymes for readership

See All Rhymes for readership

Browse Nearby Words

reader-response criticism
readership
readhere
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Readership.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/readership. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

readership

noun
read·​er·​ship ˈrēd-ər-ˌship How to pronounce readership (audio)
: a group of readers

More from Merriam-Webster on readership

Nglish: Translation of readership for Spanish Speakers

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