SCRIBES Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

scribes 1 of 2

noun

plural of scribe

as in calligraphers

one who writes from dictation or copies manuscripts variations between the different manuscripts attest to the fallibility of the scribes who transmitted them

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as in clerks

an official whose job is to keep records the scribe keeps the minutes of the club's meetings

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as in writers

a person who creates a written work a book of dusty poems by some now-forgotten scribe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonauthors

scribes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of scribe

as in files

to mark with or as if with a line or groove carefully scribed two lines into the wood

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of scribes

Noun

Final Thoughts Ambient AI scribes are already delivering real reductions in administrative burden and measurable gains in clinician experience. — Pat Williams, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 In addition to the platform unveiling, HVG has confirmed a strategic partnership with First-Look, a platform founded by scribes and producers Chad and Carey Hayes (The Conjuring franchise). — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Socrates had the same fear about the act of writing, scribes had the same fear about Gutenberg’s printing press, and John Saxon had the same fear about the calculator. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Many workers who could not write Chinese relied on scribes to compose the letters. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Our scribes are pre-medical students who volunteer part time at the clinic to gain clinical experience, a requisite for admission to medical school. — Benjamin I. Lee, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026 The old adage among NFL scouts, coaches and smart scribes is that the preseason does not present the truth. — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Filed jointly with the WGA West and East branches, the guild’s suit claims the merger violates antitrust law and would inflict irreparable harm on industry scribes. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 The assistant was Heidi, one of a growing number of AI medical scribes. — New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026

Verb

In an Emmy acceptance speech, Sheen thanked his writers — Gospel scribes Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 Head scribes Chris Ord and Matt Corman, and episodic directors for the remainder of the series, were let go. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 Out of the Further at the box office this weekend is Black Bear Pictures’ Spa Weekend, a new raunchy comedy written and directed by The Hangover and Bad Moms scribes Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Their content is a reminder that scribes more than a century ago often had a flair for colorful language. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026 Monks consulted existing manuscripts of the Tripitaka, which scribes copied onto marble for stonemasons to chisel. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 But this award, which was inaugurated in 2023 with a Jesso win, circles the same handful of writers, and country scribes like Jessie Jo Dillon, pop bards like Amy Allen, and reggaeton men-at-arms like Edgar Barrera are just as up next. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scribes

Noun

Founded in the 10th century, this complex of churches was a crucible of wisdom for calligraphers, philosophers, and illuminators.

— Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Founded in the 10th century, this complex of churches was a crucible of wisdom for calligraphers, philosophers and illuminators.

— Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

Definition of calligraphers

Noun

Williams — who lost reelection to current Secretary of State Jena Griswold in 2018 — said Griswold’s office bears some responsibility for the error and should have reached out to county clerks about the district boundary changes.

— Katie Langford, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026
The election inspectors must disclose their political affiliation to help the clerks ensure balanced staffing – claiming independent or unaffiliated is not an option for these roles.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of clerks

Noun

Several media chains and hedge funds than own newspapers now judge writers as much by their ability to sell the product (through subscriptions and page views) as the quality of their work.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Christiane Zehl Romero, her chief biographer, noted that the bullheaded Bertolt Brecht had benefitted from Seghers’s protective maneuvers, as did rebellious younger writers such as Heiner Müller and Christa Wolf.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of writers

Verb

Sweden files more patents per person than almost every other European country, hosts four of the world’s top 130 universities, and is ranked by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization as the second most innovative economy on earth.

— Jan Larsson, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Settling the issue through the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process ends the matter before the federal agency files a federal lawsuit on behalf of the applicants.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of files

Noun

Curtis was appointed by the Shasta County Board of Supervisors last year after two previous registrars resigned.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The Bayeux Tapestry‘s journey to the British Museum was made possible by a remarkable team of conservators, registrars, engineers, and specialist art handlers whose work is rarely seen by the public—and the Times of London has given them their due.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of registrars

Noun

The authors found a long-run relationship between top incomes and art prices and argued that high-end art prices are driven less by the average person’s buying power than by how much the wealthiest can spend.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
The authors noted the circumstances surrounding the violent act, and whether other early humans could have been involved in the individual’s death, were completely unknown.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of authors

Noun

In 2024, at least six secretaries of state offices received threatening letters containing suspicious substances, though hazardous material was not found, according to media reports.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.

— Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of secretaries

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“Scribes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scribes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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noun

verb

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