written

American  

[rit-n] / ˈrɪt n /

verb

1. a past participle of write.

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adjective

1. expressed in writing (spoken ).

written British  

/ ˈrɪtən /

verb

1. the past participle of write

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adjective

1. taken down in writing; transcribed Compare spoken

   written evidence

   the written word

Other Word Forms

• half-written adjective
• prewritten adjective
• self-written adjective
• well-written adjective

Etymology

Origin of written

First recorded before 1000, for the adjective

Compare meaning

How does written compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• written vs. wrote

Example Sentences

The film is written, directed and produced by Fennell, who won an Oscar for her breakthrough film Promising Young Woman in 2021.

From BBC

Ms. Kole, a composer herself, points out that almost all of Bacharach’s songs are written in “mixed meter,” with the first seven bars of “Promises, Promises” moving through five time changes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Goodman’s mature and deftly written book suggests that, in family as in art, there is no such thing as uncomplicated happiness.

From The Wall Street Journal

On a family vacation to Paris, a French friend of my mother’s scolded me for having written Wharton off, and sent me back to the States with her copy of “The Age of Innocence.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Janie had written it for him, because her writing was much neater than his.

From Literature

Related Words

• drafted
• penned
• recorded
• reported