speechwriter

noun

speech·​writ·​er ˈspēch-ˌrī-tər How to pronounce speechwriter (audio)
: a person who writes speeches (as for a politician)

Example Sentences

She is the President's principal speechwriter.
Recent Examples on the Web Commentator Abbas Gallyamov, a former Putin speechwriter who has fled the country, also raised doubts. Jim Heintz, Anchorage Daily News, 4 May 2023 So, how does a speechwriter try to change opinions? Mary Kate Cary, The Conversation, 8 Feb. 2023 David Niven, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati and former speechwriter for ex-Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, said the early vote can be a measure of voter enthusiasm, particularly for Democrats, who are more likely to cast early ballots than Republicans in general. Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 22 Oct. 2022 Among the 30 initial signatories were Clarence B. Jones, an adviser and speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr.; Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr.; and Bernard LaFayette Jr., a Freedom Rider and co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2022 Konstantinos Tsakalidis / Bloomberg via Getty Images file Abbas Gallyamov, a Russian political analyst and former Putin speechwriter, said that although Karakulov’s account could be damaging for Putin, the Kremlin would likely try to ignore it or downplay it as much as possible. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2023 Cody Keenan, President Obama’s former lead speechwriter, remembers sitting with Obama and laying out plans to break the laundry list mold. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2022 These two moderate Democrats (Scammon was the director of the census under John Kennedy, and Wattenberg was a Lyndon Johnson speechwriter) warned that their party risked losing the white urban middle class by ignoring the ripple effects of social change. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 28 May 2021 Gilbert’s take drew a sharp retort from David Frum, a political commentator and former speechwriter for Republican President George W. Bush. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speechwriter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speechwriter was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near speechwriter

Cite this Entry

“Speechwriter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speechwriter. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!