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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrivener
Noun
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Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Lewinsky survived a White House scandal to become an activist, writer, producer, public speaker, contributing editor to Vanity Fair and now podcaster.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To hear health systems tell the story, artificial intelligence tools like ambient scribes are helping not only reduce doctor burnout, but also increasing payments from insurers that haven’t been compensating them properly.—
Brittany Trang,
STAT,
8 Apr. 2026
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Several other scribes have tried to crack the code on the X-Men.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.—
Mick Davis,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
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But authors feeling empowered to speak out about their concerns while their show is currently being released — or even before it’s released, even if they’re attached to the project — does feel new.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Scrivener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrivener. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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