- a person who writes books, articles, etc, esp as an occupation
- the person who has written something specified
- a person who is able to write or write well
- a scribe or clerk
- a composer of music
- Scot a legal practitioner, such as a notary or solicitor
- Writer to the Signet ⇒ (in Scotland) a member of an ancient society of solicitors, now having the exclusive privilege of preparing crown writs
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
writ•er /ˈraɪtɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a person engaged in writing, esp. as an occupation.
writ•er
(rī′tər),USA pronunciation n.
- a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., esp. as an occupation or profession;
an author or journalist. - a clerk, scribe, or the like.
- a person who commits his or her thoughts, ideas, etc., to writing:an expert letter writer.
- (in a piece of writing) the author (used as a circumlocution for "I,'' "me,'' "my,'' etc.):The writer wishes to state….
- a person who writes or is able to write:a writer in script.
- Stock Exchange, Businesssomeone who sells options.
- [Scot.]a lawyer or solicitor.
- Middle English, Old English wrītere. See write, -er1 bef. 900
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
writer /ˈraɪtə/ n