essayist

[ es-ey-ist ]

noun

1. a writer of essays.

essayist

/ ˈɛseɪɪst /

noun

1. a person who writes essays

Word History and Origins

Origin of essayist¹

First recorded in 1600–10; essay + -ist

Example Sentences

The essayist’s power lies in his willingness to satirize the inherent absurdity of life without ever downplaying what it means to be human.

From Los Angeles Times

Even when Didion moved away from film reviews to become one of the preeminent essayists of her generation, she clung to Wayne as an avatar.

From Los Angeles Times

Jill Schary Robinson, a novelist, memoirist, essayist and journalist who was also daughter to one Hollywood executive and mother to another one, died Saturday in Beverly Hills, her family confirmed to The Times.

From Los Angeles Times

The fact that the essayist's most famous observation has survived for 170 years and is still quoted so widely today is a testament to its relatability - but also of how little progress has been made.

From BBC

Several essayists have described common characteristics of the “Star Wars” generation in terms of its existence at a technological turning point.

From Salon

Related Words

• author
• biographer
• columnist
• correspondent
• critic
• dramatist
• editor
• journalist
• novelist
• poet
• reporter
• screenwriter