copy editor

noun

variants or less commonly copyeditor
ˈkä-pē-ˌe-də-tər How to pronounce copy editor (audio)
1
: an editor who prepares copy for the typesetter
2
: one who edits and headlines newspaper copy
copyedit
ˈkä-pē-ˌe-dət How to pronounce copy editor (audio)
transitive verb
or copy edit

Examples of copy editor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Brenda Looper joined the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as a news clerk in April 1997, and worked as a feature writer, reviewer and copy editor on the news side before moving to the opinion section in July 2011. — Brenda Looper, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2025 The friction between the journal’s editorial board and Elsevier began in 2019, when the publisher eliminated a dedicated copy editor position serving the journal. — Bymichael Price, science.org, 9 Jan. 2025 What’s [hard to believe] is a BOLD-FACED LIE (a correct usage, despite being disliked by some copy editors and making me wince a little). — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025 These included eliminating support for a copy editor and a special issues editor, leaving it to the editorial board to handle those duties. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for copy editor

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of copy editor was in 1899

Rhymes for copy editor

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Browse Nearby Words

copy editor
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Cite this Entry

“Copy editor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copy%20editor. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

copy editor

noun
1
: an employee of a publishing house who corrects manuscript copy
2
: a person who edits and writes headlines for newspaper copy
copyedit
ˈkäp-ē-ˌed-ət How to pronounce copy editor (audio)
verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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