columnist
Word family
- columnnounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe people who share information with the public, but they differ in role and format. A journalist is the broadest term — anyone who researches and reports news across any medium. A columnist is a journalist who writes a regular (often opinion-based) article on a particular topic. A reporter gathers facts and covers events as they happen, aiming for objectivity rather than personal viewpoint. A commentator typically appears on TV or radio, offering real-time analysis rather than written articles. A critic focuses on evaluating creative works such as films, books, or restaurants. For example, a newspaper might employ a political columnist (opinion writer), a crime reporter (fact gatherer), and a film critic (reviewer) — all are journalists, but each has a distinct job.
Common collocations
Etymology
Columnist comes from the word column (in the sense of a regular written feature in a newspaper or magazine) plus the suffix -ist, meaning 'a person who does or makes something'. The word column itself entered English from Latin columna ('pillar'), via Old French. So a columnist is literally 'someone who fills a column' — a fixed space in a publication.