wright
noun
a worker, especially a constructive worker (used chiefly in combination).
wright
1 American
[rahyt]
/ raɪt /
noun
-
wrights
plural
Wright
2
American
[rahyt]
/ raɪt /
noun
-
Charles, born 1935, U.S. poet.
-
Frances or Fanny, 1795–1852, U.S. abolitionist and social reformer, born in Scotland.
-
Frank Lloyd, 1867–1959, U.S. architect.
-
James, 1927–80, U.S. poet and translator.
-
Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734–97, English painter.
-
Joseph, 1855–1935, English philologist and lexicographer.
-
Mary Kathryn Mickey, born 1935, U.S. golfer.
-
Orville 1871–1948, and his brother Wilbur, 1867–1912, U.S. aeronautical inventors.
-
Richard, 1908–60, U.S. novelist.
-
Russel 1904–76, U.S. industrial designer.
-
Willard Huntington S. S. Van Dine, 1888–1939, U.S. journalist, critic, and author.
-
a male given name.
Wright
1
British
/ raɪt /
noun
-
Frank Lloyd. 1869–1959, US architect, whose designs include the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo (1916), the Guggenheim Museum, New York (1943), and many private houses. His "organic architecture" sought a close relationship between buildings and their natural surroundings
-
Joseph, known as Wright of Derby . 1734–97, British painter, noted for his paintings of industrial and scientific subjects, esp The Orrery (?1765) and The Air Pump (1768)
-
Joseph. 1855–1930, British philologist; editor of The English Dialect Dictionary (1898–1905)
-
Judith ( Arundel ). 1915–2000, Australian poet, critic, and conservationist. Her collections of poetry include The Moving Image (1946), Woman to Man (1949), and A Human Pattern (1990)
-
Richard. 1908–60, US Black novelist and short-story writer, best known for the novel Native Son (1940)
-
Wilbur (1867–1912) and his brother, Orville (1871–1948), US aviation pioneers, who designed and flew the first powered aircraft (1903)
-
William, known as Billy . 1924–94, English footballer: winner of 105 caps
wright
2
British
/ raɪt /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wright
before 900; Middle English; Old English wryhta, metathetic variant of wyrhta “worker”; akin to work
Explanation
If you make a living building furniture out of wood, you can call yourself a wright, which is an old fashioned way to say "maker or builder." You're more likely to see the word wright in combination with other words than on its own these days. Some common examples are playwright and wheelwright, or in other words, makers of plays and wheels. The origin of wright is the Old English wryhta, or "someone who works with wood." Originally, a wright was specifically a wood worker, but later it grew to include many different kinds of professions.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Topics: , , , , colorado capitol building, jared wright, jonathan singer, kurtis lee, Denver Post, John Hickenlooper, Gov. John Hickenlooper, , ,
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2014
Tags: Baseball, david wright, mets, retaliation, terry collins Baseball evokes the image of a father having that catch with his son.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2012
When the Tsar met a capable man, whether he was a juggler, a ship wright or a general, he offered him riches and high position to practice his trade in Russia.
From Time Magazine Archive
Tennessee Williams is a regional play wright in a far subtler sense than that of merely creating bizarre Southern characters.
From Time Magazine Archive
On this metal plate lay a new cast wheel, and the wright with a bar screwed a nut so as to hold the cart-wheel down firmly on the "platform."
From The Broom-Squire by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould
Wright, the center’s attorney, confirmed to The Times that the apartment was considered an expense and not part of the CEO’s compensation, and therefore Adelkoff did not have to pay taxes on it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
In a letter to the Times, Wright said the 1736 FCC rented the apartment for its CEO because it was a more predictable expense compared with one-off hotel stays for her visits to L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
She picked the Santa Monica apartment, Wright said, because it offered 24-hour on-site security personnel, video surveillance and an escort to and from the parking garage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
With Hadji Wright still out with a serious thigh injury, much of the goalscoring burden will fall on £20m Cherif, who was not even born the last time Coventry were in the Premier League.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The youth was visiting his uncle, Mose Wright, a tenant farmer.
From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe
Play wrights Sanctuary directed Dr Larry Myers of St John s University goes directly to breaking news troubespots nd engages in dramatic arts jihads!
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2017
It remains to be seen whether the costly craft launched by Russel Crowe and his ark wrights will sink or swim.
From Time ● Mar. 27, 2014
Unlike many play wrights, Hamilton was both willing and able to make changes in his script.
From Time Magazine Archive
Other English play wrights may update Shaw; Berkoff wants to be an East End blend of Sam Shepard and Jean Genet.
From Time Magazine Archive
The lad gave a glance from him and saw all that were there, and ever so many wrights and stone masons at work, and the castle was ready before the sun rose.
From Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
