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Synonyms

archivist

American  
[ahr-kuh-vist, -kahy-] / ˈɑr kə vɪst, -kaɪ- /

noun

  1. a person responsible for preserving, organizing, or servicing archival material.


archivist British  
/ ˈɑːkɪvɪst /

noun

  1. a person in charge of archives, their collection, and cataloguing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of archivist

From the French word archiviste, dating back to 1745–55. See archive, -ist


Explanation

Do you love collecting and organizing things? You might want to get a job as an archivist, someone who is in charge of cataloguing and maintaining historical documents. Archivists' work involves acquiring and caring for records, papers, books, and items with some kind of historical importance. A collection of these documents is known as an archive, and the place where they're kept is also an archive. Museum archivists carefully organize items, often writing descriptions of each piece and storing them protectively. Other archivists care for the collected writings — including drafts, letters, and diaries — of famous authors.

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Vocabulary lists containing archivist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A dedicated archivist of her own life via journals and film, Eleanor spent much of her time trailing her husband, Francis Ford Coppola, and children between their movie sets to document the arduous filmmaking process.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

The lawyer and the archivist were later convicted on falsified documents-related charges, though the lawyer’s case is being retried.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

Agency for International Development, as well as the acting archivist of the United States.

From Salon ● May 8, 2026

Those who are covered by the union plan get good health coverage, said Valerie Yaros, an archivist with SAG-AFTRA.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

Two tiny figures made their way through the center of it: Magister Brangwain Spurge and the goblin archivist Werfel, fleeing from the crashed sphere.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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