ghostwrite

American  

[gohst-rahyt] / ˈgoʊstˌraɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

ghostwrote, ghostwritten, ghostwriting

1. to write as a ghostwriter.

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ghostwrite British  

/ ˈɡəʊstˌraɪt /

verb

1. Often shortened to: ghost.  to write (an autobiographical or other article) on behalf of a person who is then credited as author

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Other Word Forms

• ghostwriter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ghostwrite

First recorded in 1925–30; back formation from ghostwriter

Explanation

To ghostwrite something is to pen a book, speech, play, or any other work that will be published under someone else's name. A pop star might pay someone to ghostwrite his memoirs. When a screenwriter can't figure out the perfect ending for the movie she's working on, she might hire someone to ghostwrite the screenplay. The original screenwriter will get her name in the credits, while the ghostwriter will get a paycheck. Sometimes people who aren't skilled writers will employ an expert to ghostwrite something for them — like a celebrity who wants to see their name on the cover of a book but doesn't have time to do the actual writing.

Example Sentences

Ghostwrite Mike is a student at Coastline College, transferring to Merced College in the fall.

From Slate • Jul. 19, 2023

Related Words

• conceive
• design
• devise
• form
• invent
• orchestrate
• pen
• produce
• set up
• write