playwriting

American  

[pley-rahy-ting] / ˈpleɪˌraɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the art or technique of writing theatrical plays; the work or profession of a playwright.

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Etymology

Origin of playwriting

First recorded in 1895–1900; play + writing

Example Sentences

"Classical plays give you language, the ability to speak it and to give a kind of spin to a sentence that you don't have with modern playwriting," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Throughout his career, Domingo has hedged his bets, undertaking playwriting, directing and producing in case the wind blows a different way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

His thesis is that Shakespeare early in his playwriting career followed the prevailing models of villainy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026

Ruhl recalls Vogel bringing a small group of her students to her Cape Cod home, with its breathtaking ocean view, and asking them to say to themselves, “This is what playwriting can buy.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

Chekhov’s first rule of playwriting goes something like this: “If there’s a gun on the wall in act one, scene one, you must fire the gun by act three, scene two.”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides