singer-songwriter

singer-songwriter — noun

1. someone whose work is to create both the words and the music of songs and to sin

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose work is to create both the words and the music of songs and to sing them in front of an audience.

Example

Inês works as a singer-songwriter and performs at local music venues.

occupation + location: as a [role] at [place]

Lien writes her own songs and calls herself a singer-songwriter.

Common collocations
  • singer-songwriter career
  • singer-songwriter album
  • singer-songwriter festival
  • aspiring singer-songwriter
  • successful singer-songwriter
  • work as a singer-songwriter
  • become a singer-songwriter
Synonyms
  • songwriter

    focuses on the writing aspect; may not perform the songs themselves

  • musician

    broader term covering anyone who plays an instrument, sings, or writes music

  • performer

    emphasises the act of singing or playing on stage; may not write original material

  • troubadour

    historical or poetic term for a travelling singer who writes and performs their own songs; much less common

Usage Note

Commonly used as a compound noun with a hyphen. The plural form singer-songwriters refers to multiple people in this profession.

Common Mistakes

A singer songwriter performed at the concert.
A singer-songwriter performed at the concert.
The compound noun must be hyphenated.
She is a singer-songwriter who only sings covers.
She is a singer who only sings covers.
A singer-songwriter creates their own songs; someone who only sings covers is a singer, not a singer-songwriter.

Word family

  • singer
    nounA2
  • songwriter
    nounB1
  • songwriting
    nounB1
  • sing
    verbA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A singer-songwriter both writes original songs and sings them, often while playing an instrument. A songwriter writes songs but may never perform them — many professional songwriters sell their work to other artists. A musician is a much broader term covering anyone skilled at playing instruments, singing, or composing, regardless of whether they create original material. A performer focuses on the stage aspect: singing or playing to an audience, but the songs they deliver may be written by someone else. Troubadour is a historical label for wandering poet-musicians; today it carries a poetic, old-fashioned tone. For example, Chidi is a singer-songwriter because he writes the lyrics and music for the songs he sings on stage; the guitarist in his band is a skilled musician who did not write the songs, and the opening act is a performer who sang covers all night.

songwritermusician ↗performer ↗troubadour

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Singer-songwriter is a compound noun formed from singer (someone who sings, from Old English singan) and songwriter (someone who writes songs, from Old English sang + wyrhta meaning 'maker'). The term became widely used in the 1960s and 1970s to describe folk and rock musicians like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, whose public image depended on performing their own original material rather than singing songs written by others.