Legal Definitions - amanuensis

An amanuensis is an individual who writes down or types what another person dictates or says. Essentially, they serve as a scribe or secretary, transcribing spoken words into a written or typed format.

• Imagine a renowned novelist, perhaps in the late 19th century, who prefers to compose their stories by speaking them aloud rather than writing by hand. They would employ an amanuensis to sit beside them, diligently capturing every word, punctuation mark, and paragraph break as the narrative unfolds orally, transforming the spoken story into a written manuscript.

  This illustrates an amanuensis because the individual is directly transcribing the author's dictated words into a written document, acting as the physical hand for the author's creative output.

• In a modern medical clinic, a physician might use an amanuensis, often referred to as a medical scribe, during patient examinations. As the doctor interacts with the patient, performs assessments, and discusses treatment plans, the amanuensis would accurately record all the details, observations, and instructions directly into the patient's electronic health record system, allowing the doctor to focus entirely on the patient.

  Here, the medical scribe functions as an amanuensis by taking dictation from the doctor, documenting the medical encounter in real-time as it is spoken.

• Consider an individual with a severe physical disability that prevents them from using a keyboard or writing by hand. To compose an important letter or email, they might rely on an assistant who acts as an amanuensis. The individual would verbally express their thoughts, sentences, and paragraphs, and the assistant would type them out verbatim, ensuring the written communication accurately reflects the speaker's intentions.

  This scenario demonstrates an amanuensis because the assistant is literally the "hand" for the person who cannot write, transcribing their dictated words into a written message.