stenographer
Americannoun
-
stenographers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stenographer
An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; stenograph + -er 1
Explanation
A stenographer is someone who types what people say. You have to listen carefully and type very fast to be a stenographer. On TV shows, you may have noticed someone typing everything the judge, lawyers, and witnesses say in a courtroom. That's the stenographer. To be a stenographer, you have to type or write quickly and be skilled at shorthand. The act of taking dictation is referred to as stenography. Like a photographer captures images, a stenographer captures words.
Vocabulary lists containing stenographer
Flowers for Algernon
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Occupations
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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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:
“We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state,” she wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
Rather, it belonged to a woman from Illinois with a versatile résumé that included writing, acting, engineering and working as a stenographer: Lizzie Magie.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
She worked as a stenographer for pay-as-you-go lessons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
West also worries the increased record-keeping during the inquiry stage—including bringing in a stenographer to record testimony and labeling all evidence—could deter anyone coming forward with a complaint.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 28, 2023
The white stenographer looked at me with wide eyes and I felt drenched in shame, naked to my soul.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Participants in the civil proceedings can hire private stenographers to maintain a record of what’s said, but their services can run thousands of dollars a day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Plus, SpaceX makes Cursor deal, and AI struggles to replace stenographers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
He would shake hands with the entire crew if the interview was on camera, and there would often be an embrace for the stenographers busily transcribing his thoughts.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2024
About 80 people gave oral testimony, taken down by two stenographers, which Wolf said enabled the Corps to receive more comments.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 2, 2023
He set aside special days to honor individual states and nations and to fete distinct groups of workers, including cobblers, millers, confectioners, and stenographers.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
