lexicographer

American  

[lek-si-kog-ruh-fer] / ˌlɛk sɪˈkɒg rə fər /

noun

1. a writer, editor, or compiler of a dictionary.

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Etymology

Origin of lexicographer

1650–60; < Late Greek lexikográph ( os ) ( see lexicon, -graph) + -er ¹

Explanation

Ever wonder who writes dictionaries? They're called lexicographers. A lexicographer studies words and compiles the results into a dictionary. This is one of several words for a certain type of writer or editor. Just as a playwright writes plays and a poet writes poems, a lexicographer puts together dictionaries. Lexicographer come up with definitions, determines parts of speech, gives pronunciations, and sometimes provides example sentences. Lexicographer need to do a lot of research to make sure they're defining a word correctly; dictionaries are books that people need to trust. If you love words, you might enjoy being a lexicographer.

Example Sentences

“The further back in history, the less we can find Black people having agency over how we’re written about,” said Bianca Jenkins, a lexicographer working on the project.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2023

That is according to responses to a tongue-in-cheek tweet from Countdown wordsmith and lexicographer Susie Dent.

From BBC • May 18, 2023

Almost all of these phrases originated in the 20th century, says lexicographer and author Kory Stamper, though they’ve really taken off from the 1980s onward.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2022

Bernard Cerquiglini, a lexicographer at Larousse, told the newspaper Le Figaro that “pronouns have not changed since the fourth century.”

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2021

But no lexicographer could carry out Macdonald’s mandate.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• linguist
• wordsmith