Library / English Dictionary

WRITE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: written    , wrote   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Communicate or express by writing

Example:

He wrote about his great love for his wife

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Verb group:

drop a line; write (communicate (with) in writing)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "write"):

write up (bring to public notice by writing, with praise or condemnation)

cut; issue; make out; write out (make out and issue)

get down; put down; set down; write down (put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.)

scrabble; scribble (write down quickly without much attention to detail)

jot; jot down (write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of)

handwrite (write by hand)

type; typewrite (write by means of a keyboard with types)

sign; subscribe (mark with one's signature; write one's name (on))

rewrite (write differently; alter the writing of)

apostrophise; apostrophize (use an apostrophe)

style (make consistent with certain rules of style)

write in (write to an organization)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence examples:

They write them the information

They write the information to them

Derivation:

writer (a person who is able to write and has written something)

writing (the activity of putting something in written form)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Record data on a computer

Example:

boot-up instructions are written on the hard disk

Synonyms:

save; write

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

record; tape (register electronically)

Domain category:

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "write"):

overwrite (write new data on top of existing data and thus erase the previously existing data)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Communicate (with) in writing

Example:

Write her soon, please!

Synonyms:

drop a line; write

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

correspond (exchange messages)

Verb group:

write (communicate or express by writing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

writer (a person who is able to write and has written something)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Mark or trace on a surface

Example:

Russian is written with the Cyrillic alphabet

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

delineate; describe; draw; line; trace (make a mark or lines on a surface)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "write"):

impress; print (reproduce by printing)

copy (copy down as is)

scrawl; scribble (write carelessly)

print (write as if with print; not cursive)

letter (mark letters on or mark with letters)

capitalise; capitalize (write in capital letters)

superscribe (write on the top or outside)

superscribe (write on the outside or upper part of)

cross (trace a line through or across)

calligraph (write beautifully and ornamentally)

stenograph (write in shorthand)

dot (make a dot or dots)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

writer (a person who is able to write and has written something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Create code, write a computer program

Example:

She writes code faster than anybody else

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

create by mental act; create mentally (create mentally and abstractly rather than with one's hands)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Produce a literary work

Example:

He wrote four novels

Synonyms:

compose; indite; pen; write

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

create verbally (create with or from words)

"Write" entails doing...:

spell; write (write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word))

Domain category:

authorship; composition; penning; writing (the act of creating written works)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "write"):

script (write a script for)

write out; write up (put into writing; write in complete form)

cite; reference (refer to)

annotate; footnote (add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments)

author (be the author of)

poetise; poetize; verse; versify (compose verses or put into verse)

draft; outline (draw up an outline or sketch for something)

adopt; dramatise; dramatize (put into dramatic form)

write copy (write for commercial publications)

rewrite (rewrite so as to make fit to suit a new or different purpose)

dash off; fling off; knock off; scratch off; toss off (write quickly)

write off (write something fluently, and without hesitation)

paragraph (write about in a paragraph)

paragraph (write paragraphs; work as a paragrapher)

profile (write about)

write about; write of; write on (write about a particular topic)

lyric (write lyrics for (a song))

draw (write a legal document or paper)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue write the movie

Also:

write out (put into writing; write in complete form)

Derivation:

writer (writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay))

writing (the act of creating written works)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)

Example:

He spelled the word wrong in this letter

Synonyms:

spell; write

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "write"):

hyphen; hyphenate (divide or connect with a hyphen)

spell out (spell fully and without abbreviating)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Write music

Example:

Beethoven composed nine symphonies

Synonyms:

compose; write

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "write" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "write"):

counterpoint (write in counterpoint)

set to music (write (music) for (a text))

arrange; set (adapt for performance in a different way)

score (write a musical score for)

melodise; melodize (supply a melody for)

harmonise; harmonize (write a harmony for)

instrument; instrumentate (write an instrumental score for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Did he write his major works over a short period of time?

Credits

 Context examples: 

We admired it so much, that I have ventured to write it into Miss Smith's collection.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

"The major finding of this investigation is the discovery of bone-like particles in the peripheral circulation of humans and rats," the team writes in their paper.

(Bone-Like Particles Found Travelling through Human Bloodstream, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Then Jo grew frightened, Meg begged to be allowed to write the truth, and even Hannah said she 'would think of it, though there was no danger yet'.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He entreated me to write often.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

When I had written my two letters I sat quiet, reading a book whilst the Count wrote several notes, referring as he wrote them to some books on his table.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It can make it hard for you to read, write, and say what you mean to say.

(Aphasia, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Sophy must write, and beg him to come to Bath.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing.

(Alzheimer's Disease, NIH: National Institute on Aging)

Some people notice: • Trouble walking or running • Trouble writing • Speech problems

(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak, or walk.

(Multiple Sclerosis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)