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essayist

/ˈɛseɪɪst/
/ˈɛseɪɪst/
IPA guide

Other forms: essayists

Someone who writes short, literary nonfiction is an essayist. If you love penning political manifestos or book reviews, you might want to try being a published essayist.

Anyone who writes short pieces of nonfiction can describe themselves as an essayist, especially if those essays get published in journals or on websites. All you need to do to become an essayist is polish your writing skills and find a topic you're really interested in — then start writing essays! Essayist is from essay and its Latin root exigere, "try out or test."

Definitions of essayist
  1. noun
    a writer of short works about particular topics
    synonyms: litterateur
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Charles Lamb
    English essayist (1775-1834)
    type of:
    author, writer
    a person who writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
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