scribal

adjective

scrib·​al ˈskrī-bəl 

: of, relating to, or due to a scribe

Examples of scribal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

There’s no scribal activity. —Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 22 June 2020

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

This could simply be the result of changes made in the process of scribal transmission—alterations commonly attend the reproduction of old narratives—but some see it as reason for skepticism. —Elizabeth Winkler, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2022

In a scribal culture, maintaining some measure of control over ideas and their dissemination was straightforward. —Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2019

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

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

Rhymes for scribal

• bible
• cybele
• libel
• tribal
• intertribal