manuscript

American  

[man-yuh-skript] / ˈmæn yəˌskrɪpt /

noun

1. the original text of an author's work, handwritten or now usually typed, that is submitted to a publisher.

2. any text not printed.

3. a book or document written before the invention of printing.

4. writing, as distinguished from print.

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adjective

1. handwritten or typed, not professionally printed.

manuscript British  

/ ˈmænjʊˌskrɪpt /

noun

1. a book or other document written by hand

2. the original handwritten or typed version of a book, article, etc, as submitted by an author for publication

3. 1. handwriting, as opposed to printing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a manuscript document

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Other Word Forms

• manuscriptal adjective

Etymology

Origin of manuscript

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin manūscrīptus written by hand, equivalent to Latin manū by hand (ablative of manus ) + scrīptus written; see script

Explanation

A manuscript is a handwritten work. It's still a manuscript if it's typed — if a publisher asks for your manuscript, don't send her something scrawled on notebook paper! The noun manuscript evolved from the Latin manu scriptus, meaning “written by hand.” Manu is “hand” and scriptus is “to write." It refers to old documents actually written by hand before books were made, but it can also refer to a writer's unpublished work whether it's handwritten or typed. Samuel Johnson said, “Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.” Harrumph!

Example Sentences

Merry, Faye’s editor, dreads breaking the news about Faye’s latest manuscript: “How do you tell her that her 15th book . . . is unsalvageable?”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Requests for things that weren’t available — say, an unpublished “Harry Potter” manuscript, if the timing were right — really did happen at Vogue in the aughts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

As the somewhat predictable plot unfolds, Ms. Brown deftly sketches the main characters: a genial Oxford don, a dog-loving manuscript expert, an elegant Austrian scholar, a pompous Princeton professor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Browning will also talk about two novels, one of which, Jerusalem, may never be published after Dame Iris left a note on the manuscript stating "Not for Publication, Ever."

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The vines were beautiful, deep green against the glowing sun-kissed stone, like the illuminated marginalia in a manuscript.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• article
• document
• text