scribal

adjective

scrib·​al ˈskrī-bəl How to pronounce scribal (audio)
: of, relating to, or due to a scribe

Examples of scribal 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.
In a scribal culture, maintaining some measure of control over ideas and their dissemination was straightforward. — Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2019 The alphabets packaged in a light scroll allowed for literacy to be more broadly accessible to the higher orders of society, rather than just the specialized vocation of a scribal class. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Jan. 2013 The scribes of ancient Egypt were among the world’s first bureaucrats, and while scribal work was considered prestigious and honorable, a career as a scribe was also a way of evading the hardships of other forms of labor. — Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025 Those readers included a wide variety of people, from bureaucrats in the capital, to scribal students in the provinces, to kings in Nubia (modern Sudan). — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025 This involved faithfully copying the Middle English text from the medieval manuscript, then editing that text for a modern reader, such as adding modern punctuation and correcting scribal errors. — Erin Connelly, Smithsonian, 19 Apr. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scribal was in 1693

Rhymes for scribal

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Browse Nearby Words

Scriabin
scribal
scribblative
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Cite this Entry

“Scribal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribal. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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