What does writer mean?
Writer is a common, flexible noun for a person who writes. In its most familiar sense, it refers to an author, especially someone who creates books, stories, essays, or other literary works. The word can also describe a professional who produces writing for a particular purpose, such as a journalist, copywriter, or speechwriter, and it may evoke the practical work of composing letters, records, or official documents. Writer is usually neutral, but it can sometimes suggest someone who is known primarily for writing or who writes with skill and regularity. In technical contexts, the same word can denote a device that writes data to a storage medium. Because the term is so broad, it is often more useful than author when the kind of writing is not primarily creative. Related forms include the plural writers and the adjective writerly, meaning characteristic of or suited to a writer. Together, these meanings make writer a concise way to identify a person—or, occasionally, a machine—connected with the act of recording language and ideas in writing.
nounA person who writes, especially an author who produces books, articles, or other written work. The term can also refer more broadly to anyone who writes professionally, such as a journalist, copywriter, or speechwriter.
- A person who writes, especially an author of books, articles, or other creative work.
- A person who writes professionally, such as a journalist, copywriter, or speechwriter.
- A clerk or official whose work consists of writing letters, records, or official documents.
- A device that writes information onto a storage medium.
"The novel was praised for the skill and insight of its writer."
"Several writers contributed essays to the collection."
"The archive includes correspondence from the writer to her publisher."
The standard plural of writer is writers, used for both literary writers and people who write professionally.
"The festival brings together writers from many countries."
A writer creates with language, while a wright creates with tools.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does writer come from?
Writer is formed from the verb write and the agentive suffix -er, meaning a person who performs an action. The root write descends from Old English wrītan, “to write, compose, or form letters,” which came from a Germanic root associated with marking or expressing in written form. Writ, meaning a legal document, and writhe, originally associated with twisting or turning, are related formations from the same linguistic root.
Related word forms
How writer is actually used
Writer is neutral and broad. Author often emphasizes creative or published work, while journalist, copywriter, and speechwriter identify a particular professional role. In computing, writer may refer to a device that records data to a storage medium.
Easily confused with writer
A writer produces written work, whereas a wright is a craftsperson, as in shipwright or wheelwright.
A writer is a person who writes; a right is an entitlement, a moral standard, or the opposite of left.