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write definition

write (rīt)

transitive verb wrote, written writ′·ten, writing writ′·ing

    1. to form or inscribe (words, letters, symbols, etc.) on a surface, as by cutting, carving, embossing, or, esp., marking with a pen or pencil
    2. to form the words, letters, or symbols of with pencil, chalk, typewriter, etc.; put down in a form to be read to write a paragraph, a formula, etc.
  1. to form or inscribe (words) in cursive style
  2. to spell (a name, word, etc.) words written alike are often pronounced differently
  3. to know (a specific alphabet, language, etc.) well enough to communicate in writing
  4. to be the author or composer of (literary or musical material)
  5. to draw up or compose in legal form
  6. to fill in (a check, money order, etc.) with necessary writing
  7. to cover with writing to write three pages
  8. to communicate in writing he wrote that he would be late
  9. to communicate with in writing; write a letter or note to write her before you go
  10. to entitle or designate in writing he writes himself “Judge”
  11. to underwrite
  12. to leave marks, signs, or evidence of; show clearly greed was written on his face
  13. Comput. to record (information) in a computer's memory or on a tape, etc. for use by a computer to write a file to a disk

Etymology: ME writen < OE writan, to scratch, engrave, write, akin to Ger reissen, to tear < IE base *wer-, to tear off, scratch > Gr rhinē, a rasp

intransitive verb

  1. to form or inscribe words, letters, symbols, etc. on a surface, esp. by making marks with a pen or pencil
  2. to form words in cursive style
  3. to write books or other literary matter; be an author or writer
  4. to write a letter or letters
  5. to be employed at written work, as a clerk, copyist, etc.
  6. to produce writing of a specified kind to write legibly, a pen that writes scratchily
write Idioms

write down

  1. to put into written form; write a record of
  2. to disparage or depreciate in writing
  3. to write in a pointedly simple style, as for readers considered to be less cultivated than the writer
  4. to reduce the book value of (an asset)

write in

☆ to vote for (someone not officially on a ballot) by inserting that person's name on the ballot

write off

  1. to cancel or remove from accounts (bad debts, claims, etc.)
  2. to drop from consideration
  3. amortize (sense )

write out

  1. to put into writing
  2. to write in full
  3. to exhaust (oneself) of ideas by writing prolifically

write up

  1. to write a record or account of
  2. to complete in writing
  3. to praise in writing
  4. Accounting to increase the book value of (an asset)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
write Synonyms

write

v.

  1. To compose in words

    set forth, record, formulate, draft, turn out, give a report, note down, transcribe, pen, put in writing, comment upon, go into, indite, typewrite, communicate, rewrite, produce poetry, produce plays, produce novels, do imaginative writings, correspond, scribble; see also compose 3.

  2. To set down in writing

    inscribe, sign, scrawl, address, print, letter, autograph, reproduce, knock off*, dash off*, put in black and white*.

write off
  1. cancel, charge off, take a loss on, recognize as a bad debt;

  2. forget about, disregard, shelve*, eighty-six*.

write up

expand, work up, deal at length with; see describe, develop 1, 4.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

write Usage Examples

Object

  • song: Write a song or a rap using the ideas on the board.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • off: The Car, which we have no photo's of, was a total write off.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • down: Do I need to write down the details of my online purchases?

Used with why or when

  • when: I also have kept a journal, where I write down my memories and also write when I am feeling especially sad.

Preposition: in

  • language: Instead, children should learn to read 'naturally ' by reading books written in natural language.

Preposition: by

  • author: They include items printed in Canada, written by Canadian authors or about Canadian subjects in either French or English language.
write usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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"write." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/write>

APA Style

write. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/write

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