1
as in writer
a person who creates a written work
the roomful of unsung scriveners that it takes to churn out a weekly sitcom
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2
as in scribe
one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts
the details of the contract were worked out by a lawyer, I being involved with it merely as a scrivener
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Recent Examples of scrivener
Dillon argued that what Smith did was a scrivener’s error and doesn’t rise to the level of fraud.
—
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But in Doerfler’s estimation, the absence of a deportation order in Abrego Garcia’s case is no scrivener’s error.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Zach Thomas Woods infuses zany comic energy into Edgar, a young Scottish lawyer and scrivener (a copier of documents), sternly religious but desperately horny and infatuated with Ruth.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2023
The name of the candidate omitted in the Voter Guide is highlighted in red to emphasize the scrivener’s error.
—chicagotribune.com, 25 Mar. 2021
Her narrator’s final gesture, transforming herself into a piece of half-living art, echoes the odd and combative passivity of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, a scrivener who suddenly, inexplicably, refuses to perform his duties.
—Alexandra Kleeman, Vanities, 2 July 2018
In the short story by Herman Melville from which our new column takes its name, Bartleby was a scrivener—a dying art, nowadays.
—The Economist, 26 May 2018
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But in Doerfler’s estimation, the absence of a deportation order in Abrego Garcia’s case is no scrivener’s error.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Zach Thomas Woods infuses zany comic energy into Edgar, a young Scottish lawyer and scrivener (a copier of documents), sternly religious but desperately horny and infatuated with Ruth.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2023
The name of the candidate omitted in the Voter Guide is highlighted in red to emphasize the scrivener’s error.
—chicagotribune.com, 25 Mar. 2021
Her narrator’s final gesture, transforming herself into a piece of half-living art, echoes the odd and combative passivity of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, a scrivener who suddenly, inexplicably, refuses to perform his duties.
—Alexandra Kleeman, Vanities, 2 July 2018
In the short story by Herman Melville from which our new column takes its name, Bartleby was a scrivener—a dying art, nowadays.
—The Economist, 26 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrivener
Noun
-
The late New Yorker writer Donald Barthleme, an absurdist, is often cited as an example.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
And yet every day writers call me from conference rooms at their day jobs, or cramped kitchens with their children, or cars sitting in their driveways—sometimes the only place quiet enough to think.—
David O’Neill,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Those called out by Che are not the only scribes who worked on the roast.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
The scribe wrote the script for Moonshot, a sci-fi romantic comedy that starred Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse and that debuted on HBO Max in 2022.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Saunders’ analysis of his quartet of authors and their stories also puts me in mind of an observation by the late playwright Tom Stoppard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.—
Eric Welch,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Much later, when Lamarck was old and blind, this Rosalie would be his amanuensis, reading to him, conducting research for him, and even writing for him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Groff, the three-time National Book Award finalist and best-selling author, wrote the libretto with Doraiswamy and served as a kind of amanuensis to the production.—
Laura van Straaten,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrivener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrivener. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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