copyists

Definition of copyistsnext
plural of copyist
1
as in imitators
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way she prides herself on being an innovator in fashion, and not a mere copyist

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2
as in scribes
one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts some scholars argue that the vexing passage reflects a misreading of the text by an early copyist

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for copyists
Noun
  • For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.
    Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Weir’s comments had earlier drawn ire from scribes including Don Winslow, the author behind the source material for Crime 101.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Wise-cracking scribes wanted changes.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • That makes sense, given she's used to broadcasting snippets of her life to her more than 7 million TikTok followers and nearly 4 million on Instagram.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Lifestyle influencer and DadToker Mortensen has become a social media influencer, with about 830,000 followers on TikTok and 290,000 followers on Instagram.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Leo’s election has echoes of that of Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian to be chosen in 450 years and the first from Poland, who became pontiff at the height of the Cold War in 1978.
    Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
  • These echoes of dance music’s past inject new life into the 25-year-old British artist’s soft-spoken oeuvre.
    Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Copyists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copyists. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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