authorship
Americannoun
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origin, especially with reference to an author, creator, producer, etc., of a work.
establishing the authorship of early medieval manuscripts.
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the occupation or career of writing books, articles, etc.
noun
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the origin or originator of a written work, plan, etc
a book of unknown authorship
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the profession of writing books
Etymology
Origin of authorship
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.
Vocabulary lists containing authorship
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ship
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-ship
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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.
The controversy began after Tamil novelist Perumal Murugan raised concerns about books containing false information and questionable authorship at a newly opened library in Coimbatore city.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
I think we’ve reached a point of saturation with food that feels devoid of human authorship.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
His formula—AI to read life’s grammar, synthesis to write it, authorship of species as the outcome—recurs so often it begins to feel like an incantation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Paper mills sell authorship positions and, in some cases, complete ready made scientific papers.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
His lasting fame, indeed immortality, derived from his authorship of the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776, but few Americans knew about that role in 1790.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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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.
