writer
Americannoun
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a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist.
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a clerk, scribe, or the like.
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a person who commits their thoughts, ideas, etc., to writing.
She's an expert letter writer.
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(in a piece of writing) the author (used as a circumlocution for “I,” “me,” “my,” etc.).
The writer wishes to state….
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a person who writes or is able to write.
a writer in script.
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Stock Exchange. someone who sells options.
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Scot. a lawyer or solicitor.
noun
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a person who writes books, articles, etc, esp as an occupation
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the person who has written something specified
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a person who is able to write or write well
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a scribe or clerk
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a composer of music
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a legal practitioner, such as a notary or solicitor
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(in Scotland) a member of an ancient society of solicitors, now having the exclusive privilege of preparing crown writs
Etymology
Origin of writer
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English wrītere; see origin at write, -er 1
Vocabulary lists containing writer
Common Core Grades 9–10, List 2
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Common Core Grades 11–12, List 1
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Foundational Reading
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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.
“You’re giving a picture of a person through an agglomeration of details,” said Clay Risen, an obituary writer for the New York Times.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Times staff writer Nicole Nixon in Sacramento contributed to this report.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
On Substack, writer Scott Mills took a deep dive into the public details of the Chopra-Epstein relationship, writing at length about his sense of “heartbreak.”
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Jonathan Weil is a writer for the Journal’s Heard on the Street column covering finance and accounting.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
I find I think of myself not as a writer so much as someone who provides a gateway, a tangential route for readers to reach the circus.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
