noun
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a person who builds, esp one who contracts for and supervises the construction or repair of buildings
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a substance added to a soap or detergent as a filler or abrasive
Other Word Forms
- underbuilder noun
Etymology
Origin of builder
First recorded in 1350–1400, builder is from the Middle English word bildere. See build, -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The longtime prime minister proved to be a better entertainer than he was a builder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
The longtime prime minister proved to be a better entertainer than he was a builder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
The market is still hurting from low supply and dented consumer confidence—but it’s not a bad time to buy select home builder stocks that have already felt the pain.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
The author is a community builder, writer and yoga teacher.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Thutmosis III is a builder of temples, palaces, and monuments, and he became the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty when he was just two years old.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
