peers: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal to neutral; common in academic, professional, and everyday contexts.
Quick answer
What does “peers” mean?
People of equal status, age, ability, or social group.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
People of equal status, age, ability, or social group.
1. People who are equal to one another in civil standing, rank, or age; colleagues or contemporaries. 2. In a legal or technical context (UK), the members of the nobility in the British peerage. 3. Individuals or entities considered to be on the same level for comparison, as in 'peer-reviewed' (evaluated by equals in expertise).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'peer' has a strong, specific legal/political meaning referring to a member of the House of Lords. In the US, this sense is known but used only in historical or comparative discussions of government.
Connotations
UK: Can carry connotations of aristocracy and privilege in specific contexts. US: More neutral, primarily connoting equality within a group (school, profession).
Frequency
The 'equal status' sense is equally frequent in both varieties. The aristocratic sense is significantly more frequent in UK English.
Grammar
How to Use “peers” in a Sentence
among + [one's] peerspeer + of + [someone]peer + in + [field/group]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “peers” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He peers at the fine print.
- She peered through the misty window.
American English
- He peers into the microscope.
- She peered around the corner cautiously.
adverb
British English
- This work was peer-reviewed.
- The study was peer-assessed.
American English
- The paper was peer-reviewed.
- Students were evaluated peer-to-peer.
adjective
British English
- The peer-review process is rigorous.
- Peer-led initiatives are gaining support.
American English
- It's a peer-reviewed journal.
- The school uses a peer-mentoring system.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in performance evaluation ('benchmarked against peers'), teamwork, and leadership contexts.
Academic
Central to concepts like 'peer learning', 'peer assessment', and the scholarly 'peer-review' process.
Everyday
Common when discussing social relationships, especially among children, teenagers, and in workplaces.
Technical
In computing, 'peer-to-peer' (P2P) networks where nodes are equally privileged participants.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “peers”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “peers”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “peers”
- Using 'peers' as a singular noun (e.g., 'He is my peer' is correct; 'He is my peers' is not).
- Confusing the noun with the verb 'to peer'.
- Overusing 'peers' in informal contexts where 'friends' or 'mates' would be more natural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The singular is 'peer' (e.g., 'She is a peer of mine'), but it is most commonly encountered in the plural form 'peers' because we usually refer to groups of equals.
A 'colleague' is specifically someone you work with. A 'peer' is someone equal to you in status, which could be at work, school, or in society. All colleagues can be peers, but not all peers are colleagues.
It describes academic work (like a journal article) that has been evaluated and critiqued by other experts in the same field (the author's peers) before it is accepted for publication.
Primarily people. However, by extension, it can refer to comparable entities, like companies ('tech industry peers') or servers in a network ('peer-to-peer').
People of equal status, age, ability, or social group.
Peers is usually formal to neutral; common in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. in register.
Peers: in British English it is pronounced /pɪəz/, and in American English it is pronounced /pɪrz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Jury of one's peers”
- “Pressure from peers”
- “Rise above one's peers”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of classmates in the SAME YEAR – they are your PEERS because they are your EQUALS.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL POSITION IS VERTICAL SPACE (being 'above' or 'below' one's peers); EVALUATION IS COMPARISON (judged by one's peers).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'peers' LEAST likely to be used?