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Meaning & use

editor

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈedɪtə/
US/ˈedɪtər/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A person whose job is to check, correct, and improve written material before it is published.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an editor' or 'two editors'.

    Patterns

    • a newspaper editor
    • a magazine editor
    • work as an editor

    The editor fixed several grammar mistakes in my article.

    She works as an editor for a small publishing house.

    The editor asked me to rewrite the introduction.

  2. nouncountable

    A person who chooses and prepares the parts of a film, video, or audio recording.

    Grammar: Countable; often used with 'film', 'video', or 'sound' before it.

    Patterns

    • a film editor
    • a video editor
    • the editor of a documentary

    The film editor cut the scene to make the action faster.

    He is a sound editor for a television studio.

  3. nouncountable

    The person in charge of a newspaper or magazine, who decides what will be published.

    Grammar: Countable; often used in titles like 'editor-in-chief'.

    Patterns

    • the editor of a newspaper
    • editor-in-chief

    The editor decided to put the story on the front page.

    She was promoted to editor after ten years at the paper.

Word forms

pluraleditors

Common combinations

newspaper editor
The newspaper editor wrote a daily column.
copy editor
A copy editor checks articles for spelling and style.
film editor
The film editor won an award for her work.
editor-in-chief
The editor-in-chief makes the final decisions about content.

Synonyms and how they differ

proofreader
A proofreader only checks for small errors like typos, while an editor can also reorganize and rewrite content.
publisher
A publisher runs the business side of producing a book or paper; an editor focuses on the content.

Word family

edit verb
To prepare text or film by correcting and arranging it.
edition noun
One particular version of a book or newspaper.
editorial noun
An article giving the opinion of the editors.
editorship noun
The position or work of an editor.

Commonly confused: editor or edit?

editor vs edit

As a verb, 'edit' means to do the work; 'editor' is the person who does it.

Practice

The ___ of the magazine decided to publish the controversial article.

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