writer

writer — noun

1. someone who creates written material such as books, articles, or stories for oth

1.nounA2
Definition

someone who creates written material such as books, articles, or stories for other people to read, often as their profession

Example

The novelist Élise spent three years writing her first book before a publisher accepted it.

novelist — writer who creates fiction books

A good writer reads widely and revises each draft many times before the final version is ready.

adjective + writer: good writer, young writer, freelance writer

Common collocations
  • freelance writer
  • staff writer
  • prolific writer
  • aspiring writer
  • writer's block
  • writer's workshop
Synonyms
  • author

    more formal than writer; strongly implies published books rather than any written work

  • journalist

    specifically writes news and feature articles for newspapers, magazines, or online media

  • novelist

    a writer who creates long fictional stories (novels)

  • columnist

    writes regular opinion pieces for a newspaper or magazine under their own name

Antonyms
  • reader

    a person who reads rather than creates written content

Grammar Patterns

writer + of + [topic/genre]

writer + for + [publication/institution]

Usage Note

Frequently combined with a modifier that specifies the genre or medium, such as science-fiction writer, sports writer, or screenwriter. The phrase writer's block refers to a temporary inability to produce new work.

Common Mistakes

She is a writer for articles.
She is a writer of articles.
Use of (not for) to indicate what someone writes.
He is a writer and also writes reports.
He is a writer of reports.
Avoid repeating the verb write after the noun writer.

2. a person who paints or draws words and pictures on walls, trains, bridges, and o

2.nounB2
Definition

a person who paints or draws words and pictures on walls, trains, bridges, and other public surfaces as a form of street art or self-expression

Example

Graffiti writer Heloísa spent all night painting a large mural on the side of an old warehouse.

graffiti writer — compound noun for street-art practitioner

Local authorities fined the young writer for spray-painting a design on the railway bridge without permission.

Common collocations
  • graffiti writer
  • tag
  • spray-paint
  • mural
Synonyms
  • graffiti artist

    preferred in mainstream media; emphasises the artistic aspect rather than the subculture term

  • street artist

    broader term covering graffiti, stencil art, paste-ups, and other outdoor public art forms

Grammar Patterns

graffiti writer + verb

Usage Note

In graffiti subculture, the term writer is the standard self-identifier; it does not carry the same meaning as author or professional writer. Writers often use pseudonyms called tags.

Common Mistakes

My cousin is a graffiti writer for a newspaper.
My cousin is a graffiti writer who paints murals on walls.
Graffiti writer and journalist writer are completely different meanings; avoid confusing them.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Writer is the broadest of these terms and can apply to anyone who produces written content, from novels to blog posts. Author is more formal and usually implies one or more published books — you would call Jane Austen an author rather than just a writer. Journalist is a writer who works in news media, reporting or commenting on current events for newspapers, magazines, or websites. Novelist narrows the field to writers of long fiction; all novelists are writers, but not all writers are novelists. Columnist writes a regular opinion or feature piece under their own name in a publication. In everyday speech, writer is the safest general choice. For example: 'The writer submitted her manuscript to ten publishers; she hopes to become a published author.'

author ↗journalist ↗novelist ↗columnist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • writer
  • writer's block
  • writer's workshop
  • writer's group

Phrases

  • aspiring writer
  • prolific writer
  • staff writer
  • freelance writer
  • science-fiction writer

Prepositions

  • writer of
  • writer for

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Writer comes from Old English wrītere, meaning 'one who writes or copies text'. It is formed from wrītan ('to write') plus the agent suffix -ere ('a person who does something'). The word has been used since before the year 1000, originally for scribes who copied manuscripts by hand. Over time it broadened to cover anyone who composes original text for others to read.