copyists

Definition of copyistsnext
plural of copyist
1
as in imitators
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 scribes
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for copyists
Noun
  • Swimbaits, stick baits, creature baits, crawfish imitators, and big ribbontail worms will all catch fish on a Texas rig.
    Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
  • For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The printing press didn’t make scribes faster.
    Alex Israel, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
  • The tentative agreement will have to go before the scribes’ rank-and-file membership for a vote to win approval.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Certainly, Gomez’s 425 million Instagram followers, who have hung on every twist and turn in the star’s overall wellness and beauty journey, have helped push Rare Beauty toward its purpose.
    Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
  • During the confrontation, Hussein and his followers were massacred, but the imam’s quest for justice became a defining value of Shiite identity, fostering a sense of revolutionary duty to fight oppressors at any cost.
    Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Leo’s election has echoes of that of Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian to be chosen in 450 years and the first from Poland, who became pontiff at the height of the Cold War in 1978.
    Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
  • These echoes of dance music’s past inject new life into the 25-year-old British artist’s soft-spoken oeuvre.
    Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
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.

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“Copyists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copyists. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

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