SCRIBE Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

scribe 1 of 2

noun

ˈskrīb

Definition of scribe

as in amanuensis

one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts variations between the different manuscripts attest to the fallibility of the scribes who transmitted them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in registrar

an official whose job is to keep records the scribe keeps the minutes of the club's meetings

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in writer

a person who creates a written work a book of dusty poems by some now-forgotten scribe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonauthor

scribe

2 of 2

verb

as in to file

to mark with or as if with a line or groove carefully scribed two lines into the wood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 scribe

Noun

Socrates had the same fear about the act of writing, scribes had the same fear about Gutenberg’s printing press, and John Saxon had the same fear about the calculator. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Many workers who could not write Chinese relied on scribes to compose the letters. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Our scribes are pre-medical students who volunteer part time at the clinic to gain clinical experience, a requisite for admission to medical school. — Benjamin I. Lee, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026 Admittedly, this scribe has waxed lovingly about way too many Broncos backs over the years. — Brad Evans, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scribe

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scribe

Noun

Much later, when Lamarck was old and blind, this Rosalie would be his amanuensis, reading to him, conducting research for him, and even writing for him.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Groff, the three-time National Book Award finalist and best-selling author, wrote the libretto with Doraiswamy and served as a kind of amanuensis to the production.

— Laura van Straaten, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Definition of amanuensis

Noun

Two Filipinos must fill above-the-line roles – director, writer or actor – and five more must work in key creative or technical crew positions.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
The narrative and visual imagination on display is truly stunning, but they’re overshadowed by the genuine feeling in the screenplay crafted by director and Laika CEO Travis Knight and writer Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Missing Link).

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of writer

Verb

A day after their merger collapsed, Albertsons filed a lawsuit against Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Since February, the team has filed more than 40 open records requests with state regulators at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

— Justin Price, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of file

Noun

At the same time, new technologies started to produce identical copies better and faster than any human copyist ever could.

— Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of copyist

Noun

Lennon, the Boone County clerk, predicted that there will be uncertainty as to whether the election winners can even be seated in Congress; surely, there will be litigation to that end.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
As recently as fall 2023, the stepmother ran into Laura Hamilton, who was working as a clerk at a Dollar Tree in town, and Hamilton indicated that Kari Siira still lived in her home under her care, according to court records.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of clerk

Noun

The film stars Masami Nagasawa as a free-spirited children’s author who invites her doting husband and secret girlfriend to enter into a three-way relationship of convenience, when both partners simultaneously express their desire to start a family.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
What readers are saying The conversation explores the personal journey of the author in managing OCD, with many participants expressing admiration for the author's self-awareness and bravery in seeking help.

— Eva Jaber, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of author

Verb

Test the plant’s health by lightly scratching the woody stems—healthy tissue beneath the bark will typically look green.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026
The bear even takes time to exfoliate, using what appears to be a concrete barrier to scratch its back.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratch

Browse Nearby Words

scribbling

scribe

scribed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scribe. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scribe

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on scribe

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bon vivant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes