sub-editor

sub-editor — noun

1. someone whose job is to read written material, such as newspaper articles or boo

1.nounB2
Definition

someone whose job is to read written material, such as newspaper articles or book chapters, and correct any mistakes before the text is printed or published online

Example

Nicholas, a sub-editor at the Ghana Daily Star, checks articles for errors before they print.

sub-editor at [newspaper name] — workplace context

Roya, a sub-editor at a fashion magazine, rewrote a confusing description of the spring collection.

works as a sub-editor for [publication type]

Common collocations
  • sub-editor at [newspaper/magazine/publisher]
  • work as a sub-editor
  • chief sub-editor
  • sub-editor's desk
Synonyms
  • copy editor

    the standard American English term for the same role

  • proofreader

    a related role that checks printed proofs for surface errors, whereas a sub-editor may rewrite sentences, check facts, and work before the final layout

Usage Note

Primarily used in British English. In American English, the same role is usually called a copy editor.

Common Mistakes

The sub-editor decided which stories to cover in today's edition.
The editor decided which stories to cover; the sub-editor checked the text for errors.
A sub-editor corrects written material; deciding on content is the editor's job.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sub-editor (chiefly British) and copy editor (chiefly American) describe the same job: someone who checks and improves a text before publication. A proofreader is a related but narrower role — proofreaders examine printed proofs after typesetting to catch remaining typos and formatting glitches, whereas sub-editors may rewrite entire sentences, verify facts, and ensure consistent style before the page layout is finalised. In British newsrooms, sub-editors also write headlines and trim articles to fit the space; a copy editor in the US performs similar tasks. Proofreading, by contrast, is typically the last stage before printing and focuses almost entirely on surface-level errors.

sub-editor ↗copy editorproofreader

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • work as a sub-editor

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed from the prefix sub- (meaning 'under, below') and editor ('a person who prepares text for publication'). The term originally described someone who worked under the chief editor in a newspaper office, checking and polishing articles before they went to press.