write

[ rahyt ]

verb (used with object)

, wrote or (Archaic) writ; writ·ten or (Archaic) writ; writ·ing.

1. to trace or form (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means; inscribe:

   Write your name on the board.

2. to express or communicate in writing; give a written account of:

   She wrote to thank us for the hospitality.

3. to fill in the blank spaces of (a printed form) with writing:

   to write a check.

4. to execute or produce by setting down words, figures, etc.:

   to write two copies of a letter.

5. to compose and produce in words or characters duly set down:

   to write a letter to a friend.

6. to produce as author or composer:

   to write a sonnet;

   to write a symphony.

   Synonyms: create, draft, author, pen, compose

7. to trace significant characters on, or mark or cover with writing.
8. to cause to be apparent or unmistakable:

   Honesty is written on his face.

9. Computers. to transfer (information, data, programs, etc.) from storage to secondary storage or an output medium.
10. Stock Exchange. to sell (options).
11. to underwrite.

verb (used without object)

, wrote or (Archaic) writ; writ·ten or (Archaic) writ; writ·ing.

1. to trace or form characters, words, etc., with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means, or as a pen or the like does:

   He writes with a pen.

2. to write as a profession or occupation:

   She writes for the Daily Inquirer.

3. to express ideas in writing:

   He wrote about his trip to Borneo.

4. to write a letter or letters, or communicate by letter:

   Write if you get work.

5. to compose or work as a writer or author.
6. Computers. to transfer into a secondary storage device or output medium.

verb phrase

1. 1. to put into writing, especially in full detail:

      My boss asked me to write up a report for the meeting on Monday, so I cancelled my plans and worked on it all weekend.

   2. to present to public notice in a written description or account.
   3. to document a violation, complaint, or charge against, especially in a recommendation for disciplinary action:

      Is it true that you were written up by your French teacher because you set a classroom dictionary on fire?

   4. Accounting. to make an excessive valuation of (an asset).
2. 1. to cancel an entry in an account, as an unpaid and uncollectable debt.
   2. to regard as worthless, lost, obsolete, etc.; decide to forget:

      to write off their bad experience.

   3. to amortize:

      The new equipment was written off in three years.

3. 1. to set down in writing; record; note.
   2. to direct one's writing to a less intelligent reader or audience:

      He writes down to the public.

4. 1. to vote for (a candidate not listed on the ballot) by writing a full name rather than selecting an option on the ballot.
   2. to include in or add to a text by writing:

      Do not write in corrections on the galley.

   3. to request something by mail:

      If interested, please write in for details.

5. 1. to put into writing.
   2. to write in full form; state completely.
   3. to exhaust the capacity or resources of by excessive writing:

      He's just another author who has written himself out.

write

/ raɪt /

verb

1. to draw or mark (symbols, words, etc) on a surface, usually paper, with a pen, pencil, or other instrument
2. to describe or record (ideas, experiences, etc) in writing
3. to compose (a letter) to or correspond regularly with (a person, organization, etc)
4. tr; may take a clause as object to say or communicate by letter

   he wrote that he was on his way

5. informal.
   tr to send a letter to (a person, etc)
6. to write (words) in cursive as opposed to printed style
7. tr to be sufficiently familiar with (a specified style, language, etc) to use it in writing
8. to be the author or composer of (books, music, etc)
9. tr to fill in the details for (a document, form, etc)
10. tr to draw up or draft
11. tr to produce by writing

    he wrote ten pages

12. tr to show clearly

    envy was written all over his face

13. tr to spell, inscribe, or entitle
14. tr to ordain or prophesy

    it is written

15. tr to sit (an examination)
16. intr to produce writing as specified
17. computing to record (data) in a location in a storage device Compare read 1
18. tr Compare underwrite

Derived Forms

• ˈwritable, adjective

Other Words From

• mis·write verb (used with object) miswrote miswritten miswriting

Word History and Origins

Origin of write¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English writen, Old English wrītan; cognate with Old Saxon wrītan “to cut, write,” German reissen “to tear, draw,” Old Norse rīta “to score, write”

Word History and Origins

Origin of write¹

Old English wrītan (originally: to scratch runes into bark); related to Old Frisian wrīta, Old Norse rīta, Old High German rīzan (German reissen to tear)

Idioms and Phrases

• nothing to write home about
• wrote

Example Sentences

Ms. Hayden said in an interview on Wednesday that she will continue to work on writing and producing and is working on a short film and a musical.

From New York Times

The change, they wrote in an opinion column in The Wall Street Journal, could result in a “wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”

From New York Times

While the law was written for spies gathering information for a foreign adversary, on its face it also would cover investigative journalism and the publication of information the government has deemed classified.

From New York Times

“In my mind, I was thinking, Yeah, OK, this old line,” Cher wrote.

From Salon

It was the state of the park and the Prometheus statue that struck Mero and her creative partner, known as Wild Life, Mero wrote on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• address
• compose
• create
• draft
• note
• pen
• print
• record
• rewrite
• scrawl
• scribble
• sign
• tell