write Hear it!

write Definition

write (rīt)

transitive verb wrote, writ′·ten, 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.
  2. to form or inscribe (words) in cursive style
  3. to spell (a name, word, etc.) words written alike are often pronounced differently
  4. to know (a specific alphabet, language, etc.) well enough to communicate in writing
  5. to be the author or composer of (literary or musical material)
  6. to draw up or compose in legal form
  7. to fill in (a check, money order, etc.) with necessary writing
  8. to cover with writing to write three pages
  9. to communicate in writing he wrote that he would be late
  10. to communicate with in writing; write a letter or note to write her before you go
  11. to entitle or designate in writing he writes himself “Judge”
  12. to underwrite
  13. to leave marks, signs, or evidence of; show clearly greed was written on his face
  14. 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)

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.

write Usage Examples

Object

  • letter: He recommended writing a letter opposing the transfer in the strongest terms.
  • article: During the 1930s she wrote several articles defending socialism.
  • book: I even wrote a small book in 1970 advocating floating rates.
  • song: Write a song or a rap using the ideas on the board.
  • essay: In 1929 she wrote an essay, " The spirit of Lenin " .
  • poem: Write a poem about keeping a companion animal, with a happy ending.

Preposition: on

parchment: We have the Conveyance written on parchment from Thomas Daniel Esquire to Mr William Garratt!

Subject

author: They include items printed in Canada, written by Canadian authors or about Canadian subjects in either French or English language.

Preposition: from

perspective: Much of Too Weird For Ziggy is written from the perspective of a Camden journalist.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • down: The spell must be written down to be used by its caster at the same time that he writes his gestures.
  • 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?
  • off: However, I have to agree with comments made that we should not write off the program.

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.

Infinitive complement

congratulate: R Davis, Stoke on Trent I am writing to congratulate you on the best ever potato chips in the whole wide world ever.

Preposition: in

  • language: Instead, children should learn to read 'naturally ' by reading books written in natural language.
  • style: Written in an entertaining style, the book is designed to help project managers manage change in busy situations.
  • subscript: In the subscript the candidate numerals are written in subscript in the cells.

Preposition: under

pseudonym: First among Blake authors to join up was Norman Goddard, who wrote under the pseudonym of Mark Darran.

Preposition: by

author: They include items printed in Canada, written by Canadian authors or about Canadian subjects in either French or English language.