1
as in writer
a person who creates a written work
the roomful of unsung scriveners that it takes to churn out a weekly sitcom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scribe
one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts
the details of the contract were worked out by a lawyer, I being involved with it merely as a scrivener
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 scrivener
Dillon argued that what Smith did was a scrivener’s error and doesn’t rise to the level of fraud.
—
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But in Doerfler’s estimation, the absence of a deportation order in Abrego Garcia’s case is no scrivener’s error.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Zach Thomas Woods infuses zany comic energy into Edgar, a young Scottish lawyer and scrivener (a copier of documents), sternly religious but desperately horny and infatuated with Ruth.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2023
The name of the candidate omitted in the Voter Guide is highlighted in red to emphasize the scrivener’s error.
—chicagotribune.com, 25 Mar. 2021
Her narrator’s final gesture, transforming herself into a piece of half-living art, echoes the odd and combative passivity of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, a scrivener who suddenly, inexplicably, refuses to perform his duties.
—Alexandra Kleeman, Vanities, 2 July 2018
In the short story by Herman Melville from which our new column takes its name, Bartleby was a scrivener—a dying art, nowadays.
—The Economist, 26 May 2018
In 1727, when Benjamin Franklin was twenty-one, he and a few friends—among them a scrivener, a joiner, and two cobblers—formed a conversation club called the Junto.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2014
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But in Doerfler’s estimation, the absence of a deportation order in Abrego Garcia’s case is no scrivener’s error.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Zach Thomas Woods infuses zany comic energy into Edgar, a young Scottish lawyer and scrivener (a copier of documents), sternly religious but desperately horny and infatuated with Ruth.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2023
The name of the candidate omitted in the Voter Guide is highlighted in red to emphasize the scrivener’s error.
—chicagotribune.com, 25 Mar. 2021
Her narrator’s final gesture, transforming herself into a piece of half-living art, echoes the odd and combative passivity of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, a scrivener who suddenly, inexplicably, refuses to perform his duties.
—Alexandra Kleeman, Vanities, 2 July 2018
In the short story by Herman Melville from which our new column takes its name, Bartleby was a scrivener—a dying art, nowadays.
—The Economist, 26 May 2018
In 1727, when Benjamin Franklin was twenty-one, he and a few friends—among them a scrivener, a joiner, and two cobblers—formed a conversation club called the Junto.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrivener
Noun
-
Jim Davis, a Democrat, is a retired businessman and political writer from Rome and has worked on both Democratic and Republican political campaigns.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Times staff writer Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this report.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When her favorite horror scribe gets into an accident near her home, Wilkes ends up kidnapping Sheldon, and the rest is movie history.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Why, original franchise scribe, Kevin Williamson, who is directing for the first time on the 30-year horror series.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The seventh annual San Diego Writers Festival is set to return to the Coronado Public Library and surrounding venues later this month, and three of the many authors participating in the event are La Jollans.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Obvious comparisons will be drawn between Project Hail Mary and other space survival movies like Gravity or The Martian, the latter also based on a sci-fi novel by the same author, Andy Weir.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The journalist’s tone was snarky, but there were some direct quotes from my father’s amanuenses.—
Sage Mehta,
The New Yorker,
7 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Scrivener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrivener. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
