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
-
This quickly became the world's best-selling pen and was soon followed by many imitators that sold in the billions.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Oct. 2025
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These are people who are in the know, many of whom actually thought of him as kind of a loser, as kind of an imitator.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The hope is that by having AI do the heavy lifting of documenting patient visits, the ambient scribes will reduce the administrative burden on physicians and their resulting burnout, thus stemming the tide of critical staffing shortages by keeping more doctors practicing medicine.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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The scribes also are executive producers, and Natalie Laine Williams is associate producer.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And their reach now goes far beyond the parish; the nuns now have their own Instagram account, currently with 70,000 followers.—
Esme Nicholson,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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Murphy has produced countless TV shows that have been heaped with acclaim, ratings and awards and Kardashian is a reality show star turned businesswoman and billionaire, with millions of followers and fans hooked to her every move.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Still, there’s a long way to go to match bats, which can contract and compress their muscles to listen only to certain echoes and can detect something as small as a human hair from several meters away.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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For those skipping the meat, there’s two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches offered, a soft echo of sweetness that might almost pass for dessert, accompanied by another anonymous beverage to wash it all down.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Copyist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copyist. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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