stringer: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical/Professional
Quick answer
What does “stringer” mean?
A person who strings something, especially in the contexts of sports equipment, journalism, or construction support.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who strings something, especially in the contexts of sports equipment, journalism, or construction support.
A longitudinal structural member in engineering or shipbuilding; a freelance journalist paid per story; a device or person that arranges items in a line or sequence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties share core meanings. 'Freelance stringer' is equally common in journalism contexts in both. In construction, the term is standard in technical registers globally.
Connotations
In journalism, can imply a less secure, per-piece payment role. In construction, a purely technical term.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday conversation. Most frequent in specialised fields like journalism, construction, and sports equipment manufacturing.
Grammar
How to Use “stringer” in a Sentence
[journalism organisation] + employs/uses + [stringer] + [in/for location][stringer] + strings + [rackets][construction crew] + attaches + [decking] + to + [the stringers]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stringer” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He used to stringer for the local paper before getting a staff position.
American English
- She was stringering for several networks during the crisis.
adjective
British English
- The stringer position is notoriously insecure.
American English
- They offered him a stringer contract with no benefits.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in media businesses discussing freelance budgets.
Academic
Used in engineering/architecture papers describing structural components.
Everyday
Very uncommon. Might be heard in contexts of tennis or DIY stair construction.
Technical
Common in journalism, construction, shipbuilding, and sports equipment manuals.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stringer”
- Using 'stringer' to mean a casual worker in any field (it's specific). Confusing 'stringer' (person/job) with 'string' (material).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically not. In journalism, a stringer is a freelancer paid per story or assignment. In other contexts, it refers to a structural part or a specific job (like racket stringing), which may be a permanent role.
All stringers in journalism are freelancers, but not all freelance journalists are called stringers. 'Stringer' often implies a more regular, location-based arrangement with a specific news outlet, but still without staff benefits.
Yes, in construction and engineering, a stringer is a long horizontal beam (e.g., in a staircase or ship's hull) that supports other components.
No, it's rare and considered jargon or a back-formation from the noun. The standard verb is 'to string' (as in rackets), or 'to work as a stringer'.
A person who strings something, especially in the contexts of sports equipment, journalism, or construction support.
Stringer is usually technical/professional in register.
Stringer: in British English it is pronounced /ˈstrɪŋə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈstrɪŋər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On a stringer (rare, journalistic slang for being paid per piece).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a person putting STRING on a tennis racket, or a journalist's stories strung together for a newspaper. Both are STRINGERs.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUPPORT IS A LINE (construction); INFORMATION GATHERING IS COLLECTING/THREADING (journalism).
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following contexts would 'stringer' LEAST likely be used?