Meanings
plural amanuenses
- One employed to take dictation, or copy manuscripts.
As pay was Lady Anne's object, and poor Georgiana was intended to be the amanuensis, should she be found capable of forming sentences out of disjointed hints, and of wrapping foul facts in clean composition.
1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 296-297 - A clerk, secretary or stenographer, or scribe.
I, his mere amanuensis, am left to do what little I can to keep the institution functioning.
1974, John Gardner, “The Warden”, in The King's Indian2 more examples
In consequence of this fashion of authors dictating their works, expedition came to be considered of the utmost importance; it was regarded as the chief accomplishment of an amanuensis; and he alone was considered as perfect in his art, whose pen could equal the rapidity of utterance: […]
1827, John Colin Dunlop, History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age, volume II“[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic?[…]”
1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 12
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsomeone skilled in the transcription of speech (especially dictation)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latināmanuēnsis“secretary”
- Englishamanuensis
From Latin āmanuēnsis (“secretary”), from ab- (“from, off (of)”) + manus (“hand”) + -ensis (“of or from (a place)”), early 17th c.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech stenotypist
- stenotypista clerk, secretary or stenographer
Dutch kopiist, schrijver op dictaat
- kopiistone employed to take dictation
- schrijver op dictaatone employed to take dictation
- secretarisone employed to take dictation
- stenograafa clerk, secretary or stenographer
French copieur, secretaire
- copieurone employed to take dictation
- secretaireone employed to take dictation
- sténographea clerk, secretary or stenographer
German Kopist, Schreiber
- Kopistone employed to take dictation
- Schreiberone employed to take dictation
- Schreibhilfeone employed to take dictation
- Sekretärone employed to take dictation
- Schreibera clerk, secretary or stenographer
- Schreiberina clerk, secretary or stenographer
- Sekretära clerk, secretary or stenographer
- Sekretärina clerk, secretary or stenographer
Irish scríobhaí, scríobhaí
- scríobhaíone employed to take dictation
- scríobhaía clerk, secretary or stenographer
Italian amanuense
- amanuenseone employed to take dictation
Polish osobisty sekretarz piszący pod dyktando, skryba
- osobisty sekretarz piszący pod dyktandoone employed to take dictation
- skrybaa clerk, secretary or stenographer
Portuguese amanuense, amanuense
- amanuenseone employed to take dictation
- amanuensea clerk, secretary or stenographer
- escreventea clerk, secretary or stenographer
Spanish amanuense
- amanuenseone employed to take dictation
Cite this entry
amanuensis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amanuensis
“amanuensis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amanuensis. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “amanuensis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amanuensis.
Source: amanuensis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.