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Glite Dictionary
scenarist

scenarist

1 8.3
A person who writes scripts for films or television
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛnəˌrɪst/
translation icon : guionista
  • During the interview, the scenarist discussed the challenges of adapting a novel into a screenplay.

Examples

  • Based on the life of the legendary mythical hero who lived 2000 years ago, the film has been plagued by union strikes, unexplained accidents on the set, and the untimely death of the original scenarist, Rostam Shayegani, who passed away while only halfway through the screenplay.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The scenarists here wanted, above all, to use again a fringe process dating from season 1.

    Blog text (22)

  • Ferdoci's book was the last one written in the true language until Paramount's signing this week of a new scenarist guaranteed by studio executives to deliver a shootable script.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The talented scenarist crafted a gripping story that captivated audiences worldwide.

  • After months of brainstorming, the scenarist finally completed the screenplay for the much-anticipated film.

Synonyms

screenwriter
vsscenarist
57 3.7

A person who writes scripts for films or television

is an alternative term for the same job used in many texts
scriptwriter
vsscenarist
5 4.0

A person who makes scripts for plays, films, or TV shows

is limited to screenplays for film and television rather than varied scripts
film writer
vsscenarist
1 3.1

A person who makes the story and script for a movie

includes both film and television work, not just movie projects
scripter
vsscenarist
1 5.2

A person who writes short programs or dialogue for films

focuses on film and television scripts, not computer programs or software code
scriptor
vsscenarist
8.4

A person who writes scripts for plays or films

focuses specifically on screenwriting for film and television, not stage or radio

How Professional

scenarist
1 8.3
writer
∞ 1.0
hobbyist
12 3.5

Surface Forms

scenarist singular
scenarists plural

Morphology

scenarist = scenario (transparent) = scenario + ist

Formed by the noun 'scenario' plus the agentive suffix '-ist', so the meaning 'person who writes scenarios/screenplays' is directly predictable.

Etymology

Scenarist comes from scenario, which comes from a word meaning 'stage' or 'scene'. So a scenarist, with the -ist part meaning 'person', writes the scenes or plans for a film or TV show, which is why it means 'screenwriter' today.