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
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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
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Recent Examples of scrivener
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
But the scrivener simply repeated the same five words, with no explanation for his conduct.
—The Economist, 26 May 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
Almost always, Shakespeare’s plays become mirrors when held up to the moments in which they are produced; Ralph Crane the scrivener was only the first among many annotators.
—Cynthia Zarin, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2017
The difference between a merchant’s handwriting and a scrivener’s is clear enough, the one scrawled and bold, the other neat and careful.
—Tim Parks, New York Times, 11 May 2016
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
But the scrivener simply repeated the same five words, with no explanation for his conduct.
—The Economist, 26 May 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
Almost always, Shakespeare’s plays become mirrors when held up to the moments in which they are produced; Ralph Crane the scrivener was only the first among many annotators.
—Cynthia Zarin, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2017
The difference between a merchant’s handwriting and a scrivener’s is clear enough, the one scrawled and bold, the other neat and careful.
—Tim Parks, New York Times, 11 May 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrivener
Noun
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Follow the writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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The following day, Joe finds out that the writer loved Enoteca Maria and published a positive story.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
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Yet courts and scribes, like the BBC, call it a myth, sayin’ attacks be crime, not race-driven, and land laws aim to fix old wrongs, not target whites.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
14 May 2025
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While the cameramen and scribes eventually gave up as their deadlines loomed, hardy fans stayed, still believing Kohli might just magically appear right at the very end.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
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While the degree of this marginalization differs by country, film festival, award type and executive role, the authors note, women of color face the steepest challenges.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
12 May 2025
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Last year, the couple hosted a book party for the author Jonathan Haidt, which was attended by Kardashian, John Legend, and Tom Hanks; Weiss moderated the evening’s conversation.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
12 May 2025
Noun
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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
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By Hillary Kelly The story goes that John Milton—who went blind in his early 40s—composed 20 lines of Paradise Lost in his mind each evening, and then repeated them aloud the next day to an assortment of amanuenses, among them his three daughters.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Scrivener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrivener. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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