essayist

noun

es·​say·​ist ˈe-ˌsā-ist How to pronounce essayist (audio)
: a writer of essays

Examples of essayist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Reed is a poet, novelist, playwright, songwriter, satirist, commentator, musician, essayist, publisher and professor. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2024 Our essayist offers a gentle reminder to savor the season. Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023 There's a reason why the adobe inn has such an impressive roster of early fans: The property dates back to 1886 and was once owned by poet and essayist Witter Bynner. Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024 Kerry Howley, a screenwriter, author and essayist, has signed with Black Bear for representation. Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Jan. 2024 The essayists are clear-eyed about the power that mythology has over reason. Curbed, 29 Nov. 2023 Her reputation as a demanding teacher, literary critic and essayist was known across campus. Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023 The Mark Twain Prize is given to humorists who affect American society in ways similar to Samuel Clemens, the esteemed 19th-century novelist and essayist also known as Mark Twain. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023 Chris Anderson, the British entrepreneur behind the popular TED Talks—online lectures that often receive millions of views—has been embroiled in a public spat with Coleman Hughes, a podcaster and prolific essayist who writes about culture, politics and race. Jason L. Riley, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essayist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of essayist was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near essayist

Cite this Entry

“Essayist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essayist. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

essayist

noun
es·​say·​ist ˈes-ˌā-əst How to pronounce essayist (audio)
: a writer of essays
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!