copywriter

American  

[kop-ee-rahy-ter] / ˈkɒp iˌraɪ tər /

noun

• copywriters
  plural

1. a writer of copy, especially for advertisements or publicity releases.

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copywriter British  

/ ˈkɒpɪˌraɪtə /

noun

1. a person employed to write advertising copy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• copywriting
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• copywriters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of copywriter

First recorded in 1910–15; copy + writer

Explanation

If you get a job writing ads or press releases, you can call yourself a copywriter. A good copywriter can write quickly and well. Many write for work might refer to themselves as copywriters, though the word specifically describes the type of writing that advertising agencies hire people to do. The text that's written for advertisements is known in the industry as copy, from the Latin root copia, "reproduction or transcript." Writers who produce copy have been known as copywriters since the early 20th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

copywriter copywriters

He was laid off as a copywriter soon after his company started using AI tools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

When I first started working in the advertising industry more than 10 years ago, the entry-level salary for a copywriter was $45,000.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2026

My mom, Judith, had many different jobs over the years, from a radio copywriter to working at a printing company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

Although the 32-year-old copywriter had about £5,000 in savings, she had to borrow money from her family to cover a mortgage deposit and the extra funds to pay over the property's asking price.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2025

Their place was only six blocks from where I worked as a copywriter for a small ad agency, so two or three times a week I would drop by after work.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Actors, photographers, videographers, artists, animators, voice actors, sound designers, set designers, copywriters, editors and translators all stand to lose their work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

In the 1980s, after two ad copywriters for Nike, Jim Riswold and Bill Davenport, watched Lee’s debut feature “She’s Gotta Have It,” they were drawn to Lee’s character in the movie, Mars Blackmon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2023

"At the time the idea was that it would be working alongside human lead copywriters to help speed up the process, essentially streamline things a little bit more," he says.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2023

To the mix of computer programmers, marketing copywriters, travel advisers, lawyers and comic illustrators suddenly alarmed by the rising prowess of generative A.I., one can now add screenwriters.

From New York Times ● Apr. 29, 2023

For once the ad copywriters failed to exceed the merits of their product.

From Breeder Reaction by Winston K. Marks