writer

USAGE SUMMARY

'writer' is a perfectly correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to refer to someone who writes professionally or someone who has written a particular work. For example: "The writer of this novel has won multiple awards for her work."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Molly Blake is a freelance writer.

The New York Times

Diana Treviño Benet is a writer.

The New York Times

While Vargas has been an immigrant activist for several years, he has been a writer and reporter for more than a decade.

The Guardian

Alex Petridis won record review writer of the year and music features writer of the year.

The Guardian

Birdman, arguably, has a solemn dimension to it, but not really The Grand Budapest Hotel, despite being inspired by a writer (Stefan Zweig) who famously committed suicide in despair at the rise of the Nazis.

The Guardian - Film

Gwyneth Paltrow's coming … she's going to see my bits!!! Michelle Olley's performance diary The late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen induced writer Michelle Olley to lie naked in a glass box in 2001 as the coup de theatre of a fashion show.

The Guardian - Arts

Part of the answer, says writer Carol Russell, of the Fresh Voice Initiative, is industry specific.

The Guardian

'I could kill that writer,' says Carol vehemently.

The Guardian - Film

Raymond Carver (1976) Possibly the most economical short story writer in this list, Carver, with his precise, punchy prose, conveys in a few words what many novelists take several pages to elucidate.

The Guardian

Though the US terrestrial networks still employ big writers' rooms, to churn out annual runs of 22 episodes, award-winning cable shows now often rely on the creative vision of a single writer (such as Vince Gilligan for Breaking Bad, and Matt Weiner for Mad Men).

The Guardian

The Spectator Bird was written when Stegner was sixty-seven and resonates with the cranky, retrospective musings of an older writer.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone as a "writer", consider specifying their genre (e.g., novelist, poet, screenwriter) for clarity.

Common error

Avoid simply calling someone a "writer" without providing any context or specifics about their work. Specify their area of expertise or the type of writing they do for better clarity.

Linguistic Context

The word "writer" functions as a noun, referring to a person who writes, especially as a profession. Ludwig shows many examples where "writer" is used to identify individuals and their roles in various fields, as seen in Ludwig's examples from The Guardian and The New York Times.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

5%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "writer" is a common and grammatically correct noun used to describe someone who writes, particularly as a profession. Ludwig's analysis, drawing from numerous examples from reputable sources like The Guardian and The New York Times, confirms its widespread usage across various contexts, primarily in news and media. While the term is generally neutral in register, specifying the type of writer (e.g., novelist, journalist) can add clarity. Ludwig AI confirms that "writer" is indeed a perfectly correct and usable term. When looking for alternatives, consider options like "author", "journalist", or "novelist" to provide more specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Author

Focuses specifically on the creator of a written work.

Journalist

Implies someone who writes news articles or reports.

Columnist

Highlights someone who writes regular opinion pieces.

Novelist

Specifically refers to someone who writes novels.

Playwright

Indicates a writer of plays.

Screenwriter

Denotes a writer for films or television.

Essayist

Refers to someone who writes essays.

Copywriter

Highlights someone who writes advertising or marketing copy.

Editor

Focuses on someone who prepares written material for publication.

Blogger

Implies someone who writes regularly for a blog.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "writer"?

You can use alternatives like "author", "journalist", or "novelist" depending on the context.

How to use "writer" in a sentence?

You can use "writer" to refer to someone who writes professionally, for example: "She is a freelance writer for a magazine."

What's the difference between "writer" and "author"?

"Writer" is a general term for someone who writes, while "author" specifically refers to the creator of a written work, like a book.

Is it correct to use "writer" to describe someone who writes code?

While technically anyone who writes is a "writer", it's more common to refer to someone who writes code as a programmer or developer.