stenographer

or ste·nog·ra·phist

[ stuh-nog-ruh-fer ]

noun

1. a person who specializes in taking dictation in shorthand.

stenographer

/ stəˈnɒɡrəfə /

noun

1. 1. a person skilled in the use of shorthand and in typing Brit equivalentshorthand typist
   2. a peson with these skills whose job it is to record verbatim everything that is said during a court case

Word History and Origins

Origin of stenographer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; stenograph + -er ¹

Example Sentences

He would shake hands with the entire crew if the interview was on camera, and there would often be an embrace for the stenographers busily transcribing his thoughts.

From BBC

She spoke so quickly, at least six times during her testimony she was asked to slow down so a court stenographer could keep pace.

From Seattle Times

Rather, it belonged to a woman from Illinois with a versatile résumé that included writing, acting, engineering and working as a stenographer: Lizzie Magie.

From New York Times

Her research brought her to Brooklyn criminal court, and in 2004, she found one of the stenographers who had transcribed the trial.

From Seattle Times

During one court session in October, she used the bright colors of the stenographer’s outfit as her drawing’s focal point.

From New York Times

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