authorship

American  

[aw-ther-ship] / ˈɔ θərˌʃɪp /

noun

1. origin, especially with reference to an author, creator, producer, etc., of a work.

   establishing the authorship of early medieval manuscripts.

2. the occupation or career of writing books, articles, etc.

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authorship British  

/ ˈɔːθəˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the origin or originator of a written work, plan, etc

   a book of unknown authorship

2. the profession of writing books

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Etymology

Origin of authorship

First recorded in 1700–10; author + -ship

Explanation

If you write something, you are engaged in authorship. If you want a fancy way of asking "Who wrote that letter?" — try, "Who is responsible for the authorship of that letter?" Fancy, indeed! Authorship can refer to anything, not just the creation of written text; you can have authorship of a new idea, a new cocktail, a new fashion style — anything. And just as doctors practice medicine, or architects architecture, so writers practice authorship; in other words, authorship also means the actual act of authoring or writing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

authorship

I question whether literary agents should decide what constitutes acceptable authorship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Paper mills sell authorship positions and, in some cases, complete ready made scientific papers.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026

Tsai felt similarly appreciative of the authorship she had over Sunny, a character who in other series might have been flattened into someone to root against.

From Salon ● May 11, 2026

"If questions arise regarding the aforementioned use of generative artificial intelligence, the Academy reserves the right to request more information about the nature of the use and human authorship."

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

Like a false scent, the authorship question has propelled historians down labyrinthine trails of evidence in quest of the real and true author.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis