English Reference
Noun

columnist

n. countable
C1 Advanced Oxford US /ˈkɑɫəmnəst/ UK /kˈɒləmnˌɪst/ colum·nist UK spelling columnists

n.a writer who produces a regular series of articles for a newspaper or magazine. These writers usually share their personal opinions on news, politics, or lifestyle topics.

n.a journalist who contributes a regular series of articles to a publication, typically expressing a personal perspective or specialized expertise.


SIMPLE

She works as a political columnist for a national newspaper.

CONTEXTUAL

The local columnist wrote a moving piece about the history of the town's oldest park.

COMPLEX

While reporters are expected to maintain strict objectivity, the columnist is granted the freedom to use a more subjective and provocative voice to engage the readership.

Usage

Commonly used with a modifier to specify the subject matter, such as 'sports columnist' or 'gossip columnist'.

Presenter Max Pemberton, a psychiatrist in the NHS, Daily Mail columnist and author, and the experts he has assembled, waste no time in setting out their stall in The Great ADHD Myth?.

The Guardian· 18 Aug 2026

Carroll, a former magazine columnist who is now 82, sued Trump for attacking her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.

BBC News· 17 Aug 2026

From column + -ist, from Latin and Greek, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel-.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *kʷel-
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated