1
as in imitator
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way
she prides herself on being an innovator in fashion, and not a mere copyist
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2
as in scribe
one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts
some scholars argue that the vexing passage reflects a misreading of the text by an early copyist
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Recent Examples of copyist
Copying is part of a long tradition in art history, especially at the Louvre, which has maintained a copyists’ bureau since its founding in 1793.
—
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Material features can also include things like colophons—formulas at the end of a text that attest to its completeness and fidelity and often also include the name of the copyist—doodles in the margins, mistakes and corrections, even handwriting style.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
The watercolor was recently rejected by specialists in 2020, who believe the copyist worked from a photograph of the work that was first published in 1904.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
In an effort to thwart copyists, together these purist designers showed after the scheduled Fashion Week—and this was back when editors were still sailing to Paris from New York.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
As befits an artist who began her career working as a music copyist for famed Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans, one of her key early mentors, Schneider composes with such skill, verve and clarity that her orchestra becomes a unique instrument of her own making.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2023
But her intention has been to draw inspiration and insight from each, without being a copyist.
—Jon Garelick, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2022
As previously announced, the 2022 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to the Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC); Broadway For All; music copyist, Emily Grishman; Feinstein’s/54 Below and United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 9 May 2022
Grishman is a music copyist for Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theater, who works closely with composers, orchestrators and players.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2022
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Material features can also include things like colophons—formulas at the end of a text that attest to its completeness and fidelity and often also include the name of the copyist—doodles in the margins, mistakes and corrections, even handwriting style.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
The watercolor was recently rejected by specialists in 2020, who believe the copyist worked from a photograph of the work that was first published in 1904.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024
In an effort to thwart copyists, together these purist designers showed after the scheduled Fashion Week—and this was back when editors were still sailing to Paris from New York.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
As befits an artist who began her career working as a music copyist for famed Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans, one of her key early mentors, Schneider composes with such skill, verve and clarity that her orchestra becomes a unique instrument of her own making.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2023
But her intention has been to draw inspiration and insight from each, without being a copyist.
—Jon Garelick, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2022
As previously announced, the 2022 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to the Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC); Broadway For All; music copyist, Emily Grishman; Feinstein’s/54 Below and United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 9 May 2022
Grishman is a music copyist for Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theater, who works closely with composers, orchestrators and players.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copyist
Noun
-
And these are now increasingly fragile as a result of global unrest, climate change and a host of imitators.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
19 May 2026
-
The dish everyone comes for is the spicy rigatoni vodka, a plate that’s launched a thousand imitators across the country.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Those called out by Che are not the only scribes who worked on the roast.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
The scribe wrote the script for Moonshot, a sci-fi romantic comedy that starred Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse and that debuted on HBO Max in 2022.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Online, this generally meant that creators encouraged their followers to pair a healthy habit with a fun or existing one (scrolling while walking on the treadmill, for example) or to just link two good behaviors together (folding laundry between breaks of your at-home workout).—
Julia Landwehr,
Health,
18 May 2026
-
With more than four million followers and billions of views across platforms, Garg has built a global fanbase through her sharp, deeply relatable observations on family, culture, and modern life.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The incident — with a few uncomfortable echoes of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — has sparked concerns and questions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Viewers can expect this tale of neocolonialism with echoes of #MeToo to leave a sour taste in their mouths.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Copyist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copyist. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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