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columnist

noun

Definition of columnistnext
as in writer
a person who writes a newspaper or magazine column The columnist is known to take provocative positions that often shape the opinions of her readers. a gossip columnist

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of columnist Feel free to ask and one of our reporters/columnists may respond. — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat will be a correspondent for the newsmagazine broadcast, joined by Norah O’Donnell. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 Politically savvy, wickedly and playfully witty, and in close touch with humanity’s many facets, Roger Simon was among the most admired newspaper columnists of his generation at a time when that world was rich in that species of wordsmiths. — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026 In that analysis, senior columnist Louis Jacobson recounted the series of twists that led to the current state of affairs. — Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for columnist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for columnist
  1. writer
  2. reporter
  3. author
  4. journalist
  5. novelist
Noun
  • The writers presented two other awards prior to Saturday’s game.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The difference is that Alex, the latest creation of actor and writer Sharon Horgan, is freshly 50 — decidedly not the age of your average rom-com lead.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of writer
Noun
  • Taylor Rooks provides features with the game’s brightest stars, and NFL reporter James Palmer delivers news from around the league.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Rios was not charged in connection with the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of a pilot, an NBC4 reporter and a bystander.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of reporter
Noun
  • The authors say the findings need to be confirmed through larger and more extensive prospective studies, which can be particularly important because the research examines an observational association.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The idea that language emerged for social bonding is not new; however, the authors of the new article highlight that fireside context might have been crucial.
    — Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of author
Noun
  • The other has been hidden by banning media coverage, so the world has seen nothing but cell phone videos made by Palestinian journalists risking their lives to record them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • If The Social Network was about the people who laid Facebook’s foundation, Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up, The Social Reckoning, is about the whistleblower and the journalist who exposed the rot in its infrastructure.
    — Marley Marius, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of journalist
Noun
  • The novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch argued that the slow, daily work of cultivating good attachments and trying to see reality clearly is more effective than will power.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Iconic novelist Patricia Highsmith was far more concerned with the final part of that particular answer.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of novelist

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Cite this Entry

“Columnist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/columnist. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about columnist

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