writing

[ rahy-ting ]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that writes.
2. written written form:

   to commit one's thoughts to writing.

3. that which is written; written; characters or matter written written with a pen or the like:

   His writing is illegible.

4. such characters or matter with respect to style, kind, quality, etc.
5. an inscription.
6. a letter.
7. any written written or printed paper, as a document or deed.
8. literary or musical style, form, quality, technique, etc.:

   Her writing is stilted.

9. a literary composition or production.
10. the profession of a writer:

    He turned to writing at an early age.

11. the Writings, Hagiographa.

writing

/ ˈraɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. a group of letters or symbols written or marked on a surface as a means of communicating ideas by making each symbol stand for an idea, concept, or thing, by using each symbol to represent a set of sounds grouped into syllables ( syllabic writing ), or by regarding each symbol as corresponding roughly or exactly to each of the sounds in the language ( alphabetic writing ) See also ideogram
2. short for handwriting
3. anything expressed in letters, esp a literary composition
4. the work of a writer
5. literary style, art, or practice
6. written form

   give it to me in writing

7. modifier related to or used in writing

   writing ink

8. writing on the wall
   a sign or signs of approaching disaster

Other Words From

• self-writing adjective
• un·writing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of writing¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; write + -ing ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of writing¹

sense 8: allusion to Daniel 5:5

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. writing on the wall. handwriting ( def 4 ).

Example Sentences

“As I settled into recalling it as I was writing, it came quite naturally,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times

“There’s a real ‘Inception’ quality to writing an emotional arc for an emotion inside someone else’s head while thinking about it in your head,” Holstein says with a chuckle.

From Los Angeles Times

They have started that process with a group of lawyers, who are writing a report which will recommend improvements in the way universities communicate with families.

From BBC

“Submarine,” the band’s 2024 LP, documented an intra-band breakup with poise and panache, and featured some of the group’s most precise writing and ambitious production yet.

From Los Angeles Times

Speaking decades after writing the song, the pair differed over what it was about.

From BBC

Related Words

• article
• book
• document
• essay
• letter
• literature
• manuscript
• novel
• paper
• piece
• poem
• prose
• publication
• review
• theme
• work