1
as in writer
a person who creates a written work
the prolific penman of dozens of horror stories
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2
as in scribe
one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts
an essay on Jacob Shallus, the penman who inked the United States Constitution
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Recent Examples of penman
Miley admires the Shakes enough to have invited their Sound & Color engineer, Shawn Everett, to join Something Beautiful’s production crew (also present: Cyrus’s punk-rock significant other, Maxx Morando; pop penman Michael Pollack; and members of indie-rock acts Foxygen and Alvvays).
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 June 2025
Its design by Leonardo Fioravanti, the prolific penman who created, among other Ferrari masterpieces, the Dino and 308 GTB, was an instant hit.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 June 2025
Its design by Leonardo Fioravanti, the prolific penman who created, among other Ferrari masterpieces, the Dino and 308 GTB, was an instant hit.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penman
Noun
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Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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When the student was identified as White, the feedback more often focused on argument structure, evidence and clarity — the kinds of comments that can push writers to strengthen their ideas.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The text was first reviewed by three clerics and then copied by scribes onto marble for stonemasons to chisel.—
Ethan Teekah,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 May 2026
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The Emmy Award-winning scribe asked the public for help in locating 38-year-old Christina Lynn Downer in December.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That study’s authors suggested that, despite having larger total cranial capacity (more room in their skulls), Neanderthals, on average, had smaller cerebellums than Homo sapiens.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
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Cowritten with veteran author Lin Oliver, Hawn's book follows three outlier elementary school students who strike up a friendship and decide to find a home for a rambunctious shelter dog.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penman. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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